Super Mario World: Red
by Anacondable
Summary: The sequel to Super Mario Bros: Black, picks up loose ends involving Minus World, Bowser Jr and Sir Grodus. Not as young as he used to be, Mario is thrust into another adventure in the Koopahari in order to save the world. This time, though, he is joined by Princess Peach
1. Chapter 1

**2026 - The Toed Sthuul Kingdom, or The Toadstool Kingdom**

Pushing the door open, Mario did so slowly, faced the ground and in case of disappointment, he asked, "Peach?" There was no answer, but there was a shuffling, of footsteps. Looking up, Mario's eyes widened as he saw her - blonde hair, long pink dress, an amulet around her neck. It was her, Princess Peach. She smiled at him. He smiled back. She was just as beautiful as ever. It had been thirty-one years. Thirty-one years since they had seen each other. Mario had no clue what to say. They were both old now. Forty-nine years old. Yet he knew the moment he looked into her eyes that they still loved each other more than anything.

* * *

 _"Kamek was needed. He was everything the Koopahari has been crying out for. He was... a God. Not the God we deserved - the God we needed. Nothing less than magician, casting..."_

The citizens of Minus World all stopped when the declaration from their elusive leader came out. Queen Jaydes was hardly ever seen, well, so was most of the Minus World for that matter. There was a sound of cracking, splintering and before the shaydes a purple crown shape appeared, but quickly disintegrated.

 _"But I knew Kamek, I was his... mentor. And it will be a long time before somebody challenges the dimensions like he did. I believed in Kamek."_

Then her voice faded once more.

* * *

On the Rogueport docks, three Shy Guys were guarded by the local police. Next to them was a nervous violet-skinned man. A Toad, flanked by his sailors stood in front a giant ship. It was the Starshroom Enterprise. "Tatanga, I'm Dane Toad," said the main Toad. Tatanga, nervous, merely nodded, his purple brow furrowing. Dane handed the officers a briefcase, full of money.

"He wasn't alone," said an officey. Dane, confused, looked at the Shy Guys and turned to Tatanga.

"You don't get to bring friends," he flatly said.

"They are not my friends," shivered Tatanga.

"Don't worry, no charge for them," chuckled an officer.

"Why would I want them?" asked Dane.

"They were trying to nab your prize," grinned the officer. "They work for the X-Nauts."

"Grodus?" asked Dane, his eyes widened. After Delfino Isle had fired on the Arctic Abyss and decimated the nation of Nautical, the X-Nauts had scattered and become a terrorist force. Turning to his men, Dane motioned for them. "Get them on the ship!" None of the Toads were gentle in their handling of the prisoners, the X-Nauts had choked the life out of the Koopahari several times over. If they could get to Grodus and finally put an end to him, it would be better for all life. Eventually the Starshroom Enterprise started sailing and Dane threw the first hooded man down by the plank. Pulling out a sword, Dane asked, "What are you doing in the middle of my operation?" The hooded man moved his handcuffs a little, but said nothing. "The plan I've registered with the Mushroom King lists me, my crew, Tatanga and only one of you. First one to talk gets to stay on my ship!" He placed his sword at the back of one man's neck. "Tell me about Sir Grodus!" No response. Nothing! This was frustrating. "A lot of loyalty for a hired gun," remarked Dane.

"Or perhaps he's wondering why someone would stab a man before throwing him off a ship," suggested one man in a hood.

"At least you talk," sighed Toad. "Okay wiseguy, who are you?"

"No one cared who I was until I took the scepter," said the man. It was then Toad realized the man's voice was electronic, modulated. Pulling off the mask, Dane almost stumbled back at the sight. Yellow spectacles, black face armour and a blue plating covering machinery. Behind the glasses the man's eyes were cold. This was Sir Grodus. Once the ruler of the most powerful nation alive, now just a terrorist. Albeit a powerful one, his attacks against Crocodile Isle had nearly destroyed it. "We are the X-Nauts and you are instrumental to our plan."

"If I break the glass, will you die?" asked Toad.

"Painfully."

"Was being caught part of your plan?" asked Toad.

"Of course," chuckled Grodus. "Tatanga refused our offer in favor of yours. We had to know what he had told you about us!"

"Nothing! I said nothing!" interjected the purple man.

"Why not just ask him?" interrogated Toad.

"He would not have told us," answered Grodus.

"I need him healthy."

Clearly in regards to Toad he had no such inhibitions. Many of Toad's men, and one woman, Chanterelle, looked nervous as they peered over the railings. Several smaller ships housing X-Naut soldiers were coming up across the side. Ladders hit the Starshroom Enterprise from each side, X-Naut soldiers deploying themselves over the railings and onto the ship. Chanterelle spun around, it was the last thing she did. Several Toads were executed in seconds, turning around to face Grodus Toad stepped back as he saw the big man out of his handcuffs. Instead there was a scepter in them and in the next instant Dane Toad was dead. Summoning the magic of the scepter, Sir Grodus lit the Starshroom Enterprise ablaze, grabbed Tatanga by the neck and prepared to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

He still had memories. Eleven years ago he was born. Then there was Bowser's Castle, up high in Delfino Isle. Sweeping stairs, the stern man... his father. He had imagined the voice of his mother through the voxophones. He imagined her howls of pain. He remembered father shooing him away, but letting him watch from a distance. A traumatized man and a woman plowed through the room and father was dead. The sickly squeals of Delfino Isle as Gloomtail brought the Siphon down, as the airship crashed into it... his eyes looked from his cage. He felt a heaving motion, was he going upward? Then he dropped, he missed the city and was falling to the depths below, along with... a piece of the city? The ride down felt gentle though, and soon he was on the ground, or the top of the ground anyways... Whammino Mountain was where he landed. Bobbing down the slope he tumbled into sanctuary, down to the depths of a temple of prayer, a temple of Kamek... a temple where four Magikoopas awaited him.

* * *

The Gold Celebration was a cause for wonder in the Toed Sthuul, or Toadstool, Kingdom as it marked the day the Mushroom King's daughter Peach returned from the other dimension. The city was bathed in pristine snow, giddy shoppers and an overwhelming array of Gold décor. The capital, Toad Town, was an intimate center of joyfulness and love. Electronic teletypes made sure to spread the love, although they need not do much for this was a day of joy. Meeting up before a bustling department store called Wario's Warehouse, a man presented a beautiful sled to his wife and son, his daughter meanwhile grabbed some coins and placed them in the donation box.

"Could I have your attention, Toad Town?" asked an electronic voice. It was coming from an elevated plaza at the center of the city. It was a sweet voice, a voice of love and with blonde hair, a puppy like attitude, the Toads knew it could be none other than Isabelle. She was dewy eyed, young and lovely; adorned in gold fur, she continued into the mic, "It's time for the Gold Lighting!" Behind her was a spire of gold film covering several majestic tubes, fire would be set off into them and give an amazing display of light and colour - a truly beautiful celebration indeed. The merry promenading consumers of Toad Town stopped and joyously began to beam up to the stage to watch Isabelle scurry to a massive red button and push it down. The hypnotized crowd erupted into yelps of wonder as the gold film erupted into several different beams of colour and light, illuminating the city was massive beauty.

They were not aware they were being watched, for in Wario's Warehouse was he, he who had fallen. Often when the owner shut down shop, he would come to watch, this time his plans were a little different. He looked around to his compatriots and could only say, "It's so beautiful, I could die," he remarked. His voice young, typical of an eleven year old. "Queen Jaydes told me I was born around this time, because I'm getting feelings of anger, over and over and over again!" His warped, scaly hands clutched at the glass in front of him and pressed down in rage. "I should get out more."

Then she walked by the store... Princess Peach. Yet nobody noticed her. They were too busy celebrating her to even realize she was there. He looked at her in rage, she had everything! He had nothing! She moved to a parked car and quickly got in, she clearly had somewhere to be.

Shaking his head in dismay, Bowser Jr turned around to face his soldiers: the D-Men. They were the shaydes of Queen Jayde, men and women given to him by the praying Magikoopas that he one day restore the pride and glory of his father. They were eerie and wildly attentive social pirates, not beings of this world. They had vowed to help him, so long as he later helped them find one of their own. Depraved and morally bankrupt creatures, the D-Men fingered at their weapons.

Another royal soon exited her car: Queen Merelda, the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. Light green hair, leafy green dress and a posh attitude at that. From the other side of the car exited King Shake, her husband. He was a charismatic master of manipulation and soon a smattering smorgasbord of flashbulbs exploded onto his smiling face. To the Toads, Shake was the quintessential citizen but in truth, he owned everything except a soul. Shake doled a gleeful array of handshakes and waves, culminating in a hearty donation to charity. A reporter rushed up to Shake to ask him a question, "Hello, King Shake, what does the man who has everything want for the Gold Celebration?"

"Clinches," answered Shake. "Clinches. I want clinches for the Toadstool Kingdom. Peace in Toadstool. Love between all men and women."

The crowd erupted into cheers. Nobody noticed Merelda pull a fie out of paper out of her purse, stumbling though it dropped into the sewer grate. Slightly aggravated, Shake could not help but grunt in agitation.

"Peace and love," mocked Bowser Jr. "I must be getting sentimental! So many fools in Toad Town and I only want to kill one of them, and it's not even Princess Peach!" His compatriots shuffled and muttered something among themselves. "I despise King Shake more than the city itself because he is the city... itself. He wants clinches? Oh I'll give him his clinches." On top of Wario's Warehouse was an ivory tower where the was a large friendly, sentinel of a golden coin at the top. Some D-Men stood in the window of it, staring down at King Shake and his staff. They glared as Shake and Merelda exited, heading to a business center out of their sight. Soon he came back in their sights though, as they could see his form from a window off to the distance. They wondered if they could get his attention back.

A gargantuan present began to... roll... into the crowd. The amazed crowd began to cheer louder than they had before, sure enough, when the D-Men checked, Shake was looking out his window. "Game time," buzzed Jr's voice into their radios.

If the crowd paid attention they would have been able to hear the motorcycles beneath the present's feet, or the muttering and commotion going on within. No one did and they all fell back in fear when the D-Men blitzed out of the present and began to attack the Toads everywhere. Two D-Men both carried small daggers in each hand while one carried a long greatsword. Another had knuckledusters, one used his bare fists and one, their leader, wore long black boots, tight white pants and a red scarf. Jr took a second to savor the chaos, adoring each and every cry of pain and grief from the Toads. There was no way they would be able to mobilize their police in time.

A fleeing Merelda shoved an elderly woman to the ground trying to get away from the D-Men freaks. More and more D-Men jumped out of Wario's Warehouse, eager to partake in the chaos going on outside. Getting their artillery, they thundered into Shake's business center. That would get the rats running. The D-Men took a second then to admire their chaos. Their mirth was slowly strangled though as it had all felt... too easy. Suddenly two D-Men were hit by an incredible fireball, launching them into the wall behind them. The D-Men quickly scattered, one of their number having had spotted Shake off to the side.

With a loud crack, one of the D-Men fell to the ground with his head busted. Over top him stood Super Mario, blue overalls, red shirt underneath, red baseball cap and a fine moustache. Nobody thought for a second to find out who this man was, only that he had intervened when the police could not. As Mario made his way towards the D-Men grabbing Shake, a giant strongman-one made his way in between. "You think you can take me, hero?"

"Sure," said Mario and deftly let loose a fireball which connected with the D-Man's fingers. He howled in pain and fell to the floor. As he looked toward Shake's location though, Mario sighed... the king was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

A woman's voice. Soft, but strong. Queen Jaydes... she was giving him another vision. Bowser Jr breathed in and let her lesson overtake him.

 _"Before Bowser, before Grodus, before Rool... there was the age of Smithy... the darkest days in the remote kingdom in the Koopahari. Before it was called Toadstool..."_

A primal scream. What? This wasn't the Toadstool Kingdom! This was a land of savages Jr remarked as he looked upon the vision. There was some tribal war going on! Warriors were draped in animal hides, faces marked with war paint, weapons were rough stone and combat was clumsy among the flooded plains. Casualties were clearly high.

 _"There was no Mushroom King then. No Shake, no Merelda and no Peach. Only rival warrior clans, fighting over food, land and religion. Two particular clans, their names lost to history, fought for blood."_

So this was a history lesson? Another one? The scene changed before his very eyes. The dress was lighter, the weapons and attire more sophisticated. The fighting techniques were refined. War paint had fallen in favor of coloured sashes. One side wore red, the other black. On one side was the "Red" Warlord, a polished volcanic stone around his neck, watching the merciless fight with cold, unblinking eyes. On the other side was the "Black" Warlord, a strand of green mushrooms around his neck he calmly looked on. The sky cleared, the war was over... the peasants rose.

 _"It was a feud so old its reasons could not be remembered. So bitter its wounds could not be healed. There was only one objective - revenge. Most clans would find an uneasy peace. They flourished and grew, planting the seeds of the Toadstool Kingdom, but for some..."_

The red and the black clashed again. Flaming arrows filled the air, providing the only light. The fighting was now graceful, precise and perfect.

 _"Killing was all they knew and until they refined it to a high art... until it was clear that neither side would defeat the other."_

There was an ominous orange light, the red and black warriors surrounded a clearing holding torches. Their warlords met on opposite sides, speaking in clipped, firm tones, making no progress. A glowing iron arrow was pulled from a flame and extended between the warlords. Jr could not understand what the Red Warlord was saying, but his voice was firmer now. He extended his hand. The Black Warlord considered it, and then extended out his own. They clasped hands around the arrowhead, searing their flesh but neither warlord flinched.

 _"Finally the warlords of the rival clans met to end the war. Both men were wise, but neither could put aside his insatiable hunger for vengeance. They could see only one path to peace and on this the warlords swore an unbreakable oath."_

As the warriors watched, the warlords stripped to the waist, each man taking a sword. They circled one another, looking for a weakness and then they charged. Their men watched the fight with cold, unblinking eyes. Eventually, only the Black Warlord stood in the vision, a bloody blade in his hand. His warriors kneeled and bowed their heads in salute. The warriors of the Red Clan simply dropped their torches, turned and vanished into the night. The vision shifted, like mist... Jr hated it when that happened. It was now of a secluded mountain hamlet and focused in on a humble hut. In it was a red warrior, who pointed a blade at his own belly. Jr cocked his head to the side... how curious. There was only the slightest flinch in the warrior's face as he drove the blade home. On the floor behind him, Jr noticed were the motionless feet of a woman and two children.

 _"The winner claimed victory in a war as old as time. The loser sealed his clan's fate. The men of the losing clan honoured their oath, taking their lives... and the lives of their families."_

The black warriors rode by sea to a coastal village. Huts were adorned by whale bones and oyster shells, the Black Warlord rode into the frame, his face was ashen and his eyes burning. He dismounted and dropped to his knees, his warriors did the same. Through the door of every hut in the village Jr relished at the sight of motionless feet. Women and children. Then there was a glowing red arrow head and one by one, each warrior burned the arrow into the palm of his hand. As his warriors watched, the Warlord took the arrow and drove it through his heart.

 _"The victors went home, uncertain of a future without war... but they would not be uncertain for long. Their rivals had honoured their oath, but not before one last act of vengeance. They were no longer men. They no longer had souls. They would never again walk in the light of day - an army of vengeance with no enemy... killers with no feeling. Now they were merely a weapon. A weapon in search of a master."_

The ominous orange glow was back, this time though only the Black Warriors surrounded the clearing, with their torches in hand they bade the way for two primitive warlords. Each of them was adorned in animal hides and each held a dagger. They fought with each other and when the surviving warlord stepped up, the warriors around him kneeled and bowed their heads. The warlord's uncertainty turned into an eerie calm. Considering his new power, he smiled. It was strange, in one instant the warlord was young but in the next he had aged and there was a young warrior facing him. He was getting ready to face the now old leader of the clan. Then it was the challenger's sword that was bloody, he came around slowly as the warriors around him bowed. Each time a new challenger came, the garb would be different until it was more modern. A violet robe and a red coat underneath.

 _"The two strongest clan lords in the land were chosen. The winner would be master of the Black Clan. It was said he was the true power in the Koopahari, that his will determined fate. All who opposed him, met a swift and shadowy death. In time the clan became a society and the society became a nation. The contest became ritual, as old as the Koopahari itself. The X-Nauts, as with any weapon, were as good or evil as the hand wielding it... silencing their master's enemies, enforcing their master's will, shaping the Koopahari's destiny... with cold, unblinking eyes."_

So that's what this was about? The Secret Society of the X-Nauts? His father had destroyed them. He had rained the fire of Delfino Isle down on Nautical and obliterated the Arctic Abyss! The X-Nauts were no longer the power in the nation, they were just another shadowy terrorist force! Why though, Jr could not help but wonder, was Queen Jaydes showing him this? The history of the X-Nauts? Just another story. He shook his head and cleared the vision from his head. From the interior of Wario's Warehouse he observed the chaos he and his forces had caused. It was glorious, but it was time to see if they had brought him King Shake.


	4. Chapter 4

Quickly following Shake's trail, Mario found the king and two D-Men in an alley. Queen Merelda was nowhere to be seen, she must have already scurried off figured Mario. Picking up a D-Man's speargun, Mario leveled and aimed it. The hook deftly smashed a syringe in the hand of one of the D-Men and the red liquid burned all over the purple man's fingers. Both of them made their way over to Mario, one of them hobbling. In one gesture, Mario grabbed the hobbling one and smashed his skull into a brick wall and in another, did the same to the other D-Man. Walking over the D-Man's collapsed body, Mario made his way for King Shake who extended out his hand.

"Mario," greeted the king. "You certainly live up to your hype. I hope I'm not being immodest in saying this is your finest hour. By saving me you have saved the Toadstool Kingdom." Bustling up behind Shake came Merelda, she was huffing and puffing, clearly not used to the exercise. She was thin and frail, of course she wasn't used to it.

"Good evening, Mario!" she greeted. "I almost didn't believe Peach that you'd arrived! With me in the front and you protecting us from the back we'll make quite a team! Let's get some shots the three of us!" Mario grinned, but no, he had wasted enough time already. As soon as Merelda turned to talk to Shake, Mario had already gone. He had to spend some time with Peach. Although slightly disappointed at Mario's departure, king and queen sauntered through the alley, politely beaming to snapping flashbulbs. Shake shook some more hands and accepted some congratulatory arm squeezes.

"How do you feel, Shake?" asked a woman. Shake turned around to see it was none other than Peach.

"Princess, I just want to curl up with Merelda and forget about this craziness," he laughed. The bystanders and camera crews chuckled as Shake and Merelda marched off towards his limousine. As soon as he entered, his smile dematerialized. "I'm in a bad mood," Shake told Merelda. "Remind me to take it out on everyone." Getting out of the limo in front of the Toadstool Castle, Shake and Merelda walked over an open sewer grate. Screaming, they fell through and out of sight.

* * *

The decrepit gates of the staggering, abandoned Wario Castle. It was once the centerpiece of his perverse zoological experiments, but the snow filled cages seemed more terrifying empty than filled with the beasts of the Koopahari. One snake determinedly slithered past the gates, rising as it passed a seedy and dilapidated complex power station, that crackled with frayed wires. It swerved before a rickety rollercoaster that had three shoddy and malignant, animal themed carts puttering up different stages of the ruined track. An aberrant cross section of birds rode on one of them. The snake swung into the light of a cave lined with sparkling snow and ice into the lair where Bowser Jr found his home. It was less dark than Wario's Warehouse, but still dramatic and bizarre. The track of the castle's rickety roller coaster curled through the grotto, full of birds it rumbled through with the winged passengers flying around.

The snake took its place at a large block of ice that served as a conference table. Around the table were bonechilling D-Men, but they all shut up and went into a standing ovation as Bowser Jr rode out of the lair's vast, gaping sewer pipe in a boat. A large D-Man was holding Shake and Merelda in behind them. "We have distinguished guests, make them feel at home," announced Jr. The king and queen were astonished that not only had all of this been done under their watch, but by a young boy! The D-Men booed and jeered King Shake, pelting him with snowballs as well. Shake began to sit down at a chair at one end of the conference table, but when the chair was pulled out under him went crashing into the ground. Moody and freezing, Shake cautiously reseated himself. Merelda remained quiet and standing. The boy snarled at Shake's whose composure had broken down, he was sweating and shivering.

"Up there, Shake, you're the master of the Toadstool Kingdom!" remarked the boy. "Down here, the snake gets a better parking space. I hear you talking about protecting the Toads... but then see you dump toxic waste. You say one thing but always do the other. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against you being a two-faced weasel." This boy, this boy had the command ability of a seasoned military veteran! He spoke as if he were much older than he were! By all accounts at first glance this boy was normal, but then Shake took a better look. His red hair was overgrown, his teeth were unfashionably sharp and pointed and his hands, and probably his covered arms as well, were scaly. Yellow and scaly, like a lizard's skin.

"Oh really, I didn't...," said Shake, trying to lessen the boy's accusations.

"Shut up!" yelled Jr. "It's just... why do you get to be the man of the people! The beloved heir to the beloved Mushroom King when... when... you are the way you are?" The boy stared at Shake for a little bit, hateful and bitter. "You can say I'm jealous or bitter, but in ten seconds you'll be saying a lot of things!" The boy summoned a fireball in his hands... that made Shake sweat even more. "Don't worry Shake, I'm not going to kill you!" The fireball turned into an iceball. "I'm just going to freeze you for two hundred years, you know by then they'll be able to thaw you rich powermongers out!" That seemed unpleasant to Shake. "I'm kidding, I'm going to kill you." Grabbing a sword from a bin, the eleven year old boy picked it up with incredible ease noted Shake. Who was this kid? All the other D-Men pulled out their swords and daggers as well. A large bead of sweat rolled down Shake's face but then he looked at the sword, the boy's sword.

"You're not going to kill me, boy," said Shake with authority.

"Oh, I'm not?" taunted Jr.

"Why fight power, boy, when you can become it?" asked Shake. "You despise the way this city is run. So do I. I may be the face of the city... but the ruling council holds all the power. I thought Princess Peach could be my voice on the council... but she's always had the people in mind... ever since she arrived. I'd like to see a free thinker on there, in place of one of those goons, to tip the odds back in my favor." It was true, there were five seats on the council - Shake, Peach, Merelda, Prince Pine and Lady Timpani. Sure he couldn't touch Peach, but Pine and Timpani were always expendable...

"Me, a member of the ruling council?" laughed Jr. "In case you haven't noticed I'm eleven years old!"

"You haven't learned our history!" laughed Shake. "The Mushroom King's coronation when he was ten! Toadstool has no conception of age, only celebrity! This city loves visuals! Look at the celebration in Princess Peach's name! She rarely ever shows her face but they love the idea of her! Any other city and she would've been forgotten, like, what's her name was of Dinohattan! There's the point though! For thirty-one years we've celebrated her when there's only a handful of photographs and when she walks the streets, nobody even knows it's her. Hell, she asked me a question in front of the press today and tomorrow everyone's going to regret having had not taken a picture!"

Jr considered Shake's words for a second and then dropped his sword, prompting the D-Men to sheath theirs. An aching Merelda took the opportunity to stand strong next to her husband, who was trying to spin and handle the situation to best suit his interests.

"Me, a member of the ruling council?" Jr said again, with consideration this time. "I could get respect... would I have to give up my hobbies?"

"Terrorizing innocent people and committing heinous felonies?" asked Shake. "Not at all. In fact, they'll come in handy."

"Sounds divine," said Jr, not completely buying Shake's offer. Jr knew of the Ruling Council, Jaydes had made him familiarize himself with the history of the Toadstool Kingdom. After the death of the Mushroom King, power was supposed to be divided in between his children: Princess Peach and Princess Merelda. However, in an act to gain power, Lady Timpani had claimed that the people required a representative as well. With pressure mounting, Peach and Merelda agreed to create the Ruling Council. Allowed on were Meralda's husband, Shake, and one of their cousins, Pine, in addition to Timpani. In all truth, the Ruling Council had turned out for the better and Timpani's quest for power actually turned out to benefit the city in the long run. Shake, though, clearly was not satisfied with what little power he actually had - despite what the name 'king' implied.

"We can begin," offered Shake. "Just, anywhere but here. I think it's time you mature past Wario's remnants."


	5. Chapter 5

Shake's office in the Toadstool Castle contained a long and large conference room, it was where the Ruling Council met after all. Surprisingly, Jr seemed well accustomed to such finery despite having had lived in Wario's dilapidations for who knew how long. Giant portraits and artwork were littered all around the room, windows were grand and the imposing sense of power emanated boldly. Jr? He seemed to be sucking it all in. It was almost as if he missed all of this. Who was this kid, speculated Shake. He lived such ruin, his hands were disfigured yet he acted like a royal. Junior, he said his name was? Junior referred to the second, well who was the first?

Jr walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. Shake's servants had done well to groom the boy, cleansing his long red hair and cutting it to give him a regal look. He wore a black and white tuxedo, which seemed to give the boy more comfort than it did anyone really. The part Jr seemed most comfortable with was the tophat. Then there were th gloves to cover his hands, did he were those out of maybe pride? "The new you," said Shake, introducing Jr to his reflection. "The horrifyingly monster aspect of your personality has been well communicated. My image consultants will bring out a voice in you that will resonate, much like Timpani's did long ago."

"Oh, how wonderful!" said Jr, with a boatload of sarcasm. He looked at the gloves, covering his scaly hands. "These things are necessary?"

"Toads like visuals," denied Shake. "Now, about your name?"

"Junior, Bowser Junior," responded Jr. Shake's eyes widened - that explained the hands. Well, this complicated matters, perhaps not by much.

"Soon Timpani or Pine or one of those fools under them are going to hold a press conference," said Shake. "They're going to bring up your father and his attacks on Dinohattan, his rule on Delfino Isle. They're going to claim that you'll drag the city into your own private hell. You're going to prove to them that you are everything but that which your father was."

"But I'm worse...," said Jr.

"That, is beside the point," said Shake. "The point is, your father threatened to destroy the Koopahari. You need to prove you represent peace among all."

"Okay, okay," nodded Jr. "By day I'll cry out to the public that I'm the only brave soul who can come in and stop this wave of deviously demented crimes. The ultimate insult against my genocidal father, a wholehearted rejection of his ideals and the burial of his legacy."

"I think you've got it," congratulated Shake. Jr turned away from the window and reached under the conference table, pulling out a large bag of gold coins. "The money is to help with the campaign. I'll be giving you a checkbook so you can pay off and keep the D-Men and whatever other scumbags you want to use in your wave of crime in line." Shake looked at the last living child of the greatest tyrant the world had known carefully. "I want this chaos to be organized... Bowser Secondus." A grin grew on the boy's face and he gave Shake an uncomfortable hug, prompting the king to wonder what it would be like if he and Merelda ever had children.

"Oh, Shake, buddy," grinned Jr, pulling away. "To think I was going to maim you, torture you and kill you!"

"Follow me," requested Shake.

Parading through the halls of the Toadstool Castle, Bowser Jr gracefully made a royal pause before a mirror. He took a second to analyze himself, after all, he had to meet with the guests now. He looked at his hair, it had been cut and looked fine, graceful. Way back when he was still on Delfino Isle it had been kept like that, but ever since he came under Queen Jaydes' tutelage it had been, well unkempt was the best word for it. Peering through the door to the Toadstool Castle ballroom, Jr carefully imitated their actions before making his way through the door.


	6. Chapter 6

The haunting sound of the cold wind was isolated and lonely. Far above the brilliant green mountain valley flew a parrot enjoying its time a thousand feet between snowcapped peaks. Adrift on the wind, the parrot flew lower and faster, skimming snow, rocks and evergreens. Then it stopped though, curious and desiring to observe a man in worn leather. Of course he was only a man for lack of a better word. He barely glanced at the parrot as it flew overhead, both wondering how the other got to wherever they were.

The primal man squatted, knuckles in the soil, his thick hair framed his rugged face. Unphased by the three hundred foot drop in front him, the man looked at the animal tracks in front of him. They were large, cylindrical and pointed. A giant animal realized the man. He started to stand slowly, holding up a shred of brightly coloured nylon clotted with blood and hair.

Following his keen senses to a quarry, to a local the man would look strangely equipped for the region. A blue cap covered his head and a similarly blue cape was adorned with a feather on the side. Yet there was no pack, no weapons and no heavy weather gear. Looking in to the blackness of the cave before him, the man was buffeted by the wind. Noting claw marks against the rocks, his eyes adjusted and made out the empty sockets of a human skull. The wind suddenly stopped, changed course.

Realizing it too late, the man turned around and was smacked in the face. Landing back against a boulder, the man's head began to bleed. The Piranha Plant's gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth descended. The man quickly rolled out the way as the Piranha slammed into the wall allowing him to look at it whole. Green with some red and white spots, it had pointed teeth and huge flat spiked hands perfect for attacking. Bulbous emerald lips in front of the sharp teeth, the head was entirely red with white spots, no eyes and floral components. In the spine of the animal, a sole arrow was lodged.

The Piranha lunged with surprising speed, shoving a boulder aside as it stood up to eleven feet tall. Throwing the rock at the man, he finally considered the steep drop as he waited seconds for the boulder to hit the ground. Dazed and scrambling to his feet, the man realized the ground beneath him was giving way and he tumbled down the steep gravel slope. Sliding toward a thick, fallen tree with broken branches, the man hardly realized the second boulder loosed behind him. He hit the tree hard and the boulder pinned his legs in place. Then he realized the Piranha was still advancing, flying from the slope to meet him.

With no other choice, the man painfully arched himself forth and pulled his bruised legs out from the between the boulder and tree. Extending his arms forth, as if to embrace the Piranha, the man loosed a straightforward blue beam of energy and eviscerated the creature once called Petey Piranha in offhand conversation.

* * *

Hours later, five young Toads from the nearby Petal Meadows themselves descended down the gravel slope. As they approached they could not hide their look of horror. Was this the beast that had killed some of their own a little bit ago? Judging by the content of its stomach, it had to be. One of the young Toads turned away and heaved, leaving the more experienced one to just shake his head in disappointment. What could have done that to the Piranha plant, something mad surely. After all, the tree behind the carcass was eviscerated. While most of the Toads came up with wacky theories, the experienced one, called Captain Toad, knew - it was a person that did this. Why would he destroy the tree, though? Why would he destroy the Piranha Plant?

Captain Toad walked and his men followed, while one stayed behind to wait for Petal Meadows' animal control. Moving past the boulder, past the ruined tree they followed the drag marks and hand prints in the dirt. They led to a river and just, mysteriously, stopped. For a second, Captain Toad wondered if there was anything worse than a savage Piranha Plant out in the woods.

* * *

Geno squatted and remained hidden by the trees, watching Captain Toad lead his men away. He shivered, soaking wet, his wounds were all gone. Pulling a splinter from his hand, Geno dropped it in a pile of many more. Picking up the arrow he collected from the Piranha Plant's spine, Geno took a second to observe the broad-headed tip with a cruel hollow point, which was dripping in an amber liquid. Turning the arrow over again, Geno sighed and stood up, heading towards the woods.

Making his way towards Petal Meadows, Geno made his way into a battered road house offering beer and bait in neon. Wandering through the mud-clotted carriages out front, Geno stopped at one with deer antlers adorned to the back. There was a quiver out back, with arrows each adorning a familiar flight. Toad country music and smoke filled the room full of hunters and labourers, none of these Toads were small men. Dirty, wet and brooding, Geno walked slowly through the bar and found a swigging, gigantic Toad in front of him. Slamming the arrow in front of the man, all Geno could say was, "Ask me where I found it."

"Don't care," the Toad quickly said after taking a quick look.

"In a Piranha Plant, up back country," said Geno anyways. "Turns out whatever fat slop shot the animal didn't have the skill or care to track it down proper and finish it off." The meaty Toad just turned away. "Instead of dropping in a lethal dose, this poison into that Piranha Plant for four days. It went a little mad, killed five Toads."

"Unfortunate," muttered the Toad.

"That's five counts of murder," judged Geno. "For the man who shot the arrow."

"You think that's my arrow?" glared the Toad.

"I know it is, and I'm going to hear you tell it to Captain Toad," said Geno, putting his hand on the Toad's shoulder. A beer-mug to the face later, Geno stepped back and evaluated the situation. Geno drove his fist into the Toad's gut and watched him double over, only to pull a knife out while on the ground - powered by liquid courage determined Geno.

"Drop it," came the demanding voice of Captain Toad. Both Geno and his opponent gave in to the police officer's demands without any struggle and were both placed in opposing cells. Perhaps for Geno's safety, or perhaps not. After a few hours of nothing, Captain Toad entered, with three officers behind him, each pointing guns at Geno. "Geno, I presume," greeted Captain Toad. "You know who I am, right?"

"You appear to be Captain Toad," answered Geno.

"I've actually been following you for some time," said Captain Toad. "Your attack on the Piranha Plant and this man finally gave me the ability to put you in one place long enough to talk to you. I have arranged for your release, pending a few formalities."

"What do I owe you?" asked Geno.

"The gain is yours," promised Captain Toad and he flicked an envelope between the cell. Opening it up, Geno looked at it what it contained curiously. A thin parchment of paper written on an old typewriter.

"Where did you get this?" asked Geno.

"I can help you, Geno, but first you must help me," offered Captain Toad.


	7. Chapter 7

Geno just kept on reading that sheet of paper. He could not fathom the title of the transcript: "Seven Star Project". There was dense military jargon after that but it was the title that had Geno fixated. Meanwhile, Captain Toad was conferring with a group of officers who seemed to be of higher rank than him. By the way of their conversation, Geno supposed that things were working out fine. Nodding, Captain Toad walked over to Geno and said, "The hunter confessed. We are very grateful, we may never have found him on our own."

Geno nodded and waved the paper. "Is there more?"

"All there is to know," smiled Captain Toad. "Where the Star Pieces are, when the Star Road came into disuse and what you have to do with the X-Nauts. However, that was all I was permitted to share by my master, the rest is at Toad Town."

"Toad Town? Did you say master?" asked Geno with incredulity.

"A carriage is waiting to take us to him now," answered Captain Toad.

"Maybe next time," said Geno and turned and began to walk out.

"I will have to arrest you if you do not obey," warned Captain Toad. "There is nowhere in the Toadstool Kingdom you can go where the constabulary or my fellow captains are not prepared to take you in to our master." That stopped Geno in his tracks. "You will have to comply or you will have to kill us to maintain what you call freedom. You will continue searching in the wrong place for answers, wasting your gifts as a vigilante and you will never end your pain?"

"What could you know about pain?" asked Geno.

"Compared to you... I've never even felt pain," answered Captain Toad. "What I can do, is give you peace. All you have to do is come to Toad Town."

"Whatever," said Geno, feeling forced.

He had to go, no doubt. There was no way around it, if there were, Geno would have found it. However, he had been stumbling around in the Toadstool Kingdom for about seven years but going in to the capital city? No way he needed that kind of attention. He still did not want to go... but this Captain had what he needed. The location of the Star Pieces. Following Captain Toad in the carriage, Geno was pleasantly surprised by its pace. It certainly was not the fastest carriage he had been on but could have been much slower, especially given how far away Toad Town was and how tumultuous the road. The Toadstool Kingdom had been spared many of the monstrosities of Bowser and the X-Nauts but Geno knew it was far from a perfect place. It had its share of problems, especially with the Toads' devotion to honour.

When they approached the city, Geno was bombarded by the unearthly electric colour of Toad Town's blinding light. His eyes adjusted to the extravagant neon and bombastic billboards. This place was a morphing electric city off of a concrete base. Everything was impossibly clean. Petal Meadows had a small festival for the Gold Celebration, but it had cleaned up quickly. Geno could still see the remnants of Princess Peach's return ceremony almost everywhere.

From the rearview mirror, Geno could see a woman's catlike eyes glancing at him from under a red and white chauffeur's cap which concealed close cropped hair. Taking a glance himself, Geno saw her nametag read no surname, but her first name was listed as Vivian. Riding in the back, Captain Toad pointed to a giant billboard where the ubiquitous face of an old man became visible. "The Mushroom King," said Captain Toad. "My master." The Mushroom King? The ruler of the Toadstool Kingdom... wasn't he ill or something. Out in Petal Meadows, a hermit like Geno did not get much news of the goings in the kingdom but he knew that there was something involving a Ruling Council replacing him.

"He's a big guy," commented Geno. Captain Toad remained silent, clearly sensing that Geno was out of the loop on the fact that the Mushroom King had been dead for nearly two months.

"The Mushroom King's family line is as long as the Kerog's," said Captain Toad. "He has given away more than most Toads, Koopas and Kremlings will ever earn. His kingdom has revolutionized medical research, agriculture and education. His wisdom has shaped our government. The Mushroom King is the Toadstool Kingdom."

"When do I meet him?" asked Geno.

"You will see... him, tomorrow," answered Captain Toad, flustered. Normally, a normal police officer like Captain Toad would never get to enter Toad Town beyond recreation, let alone step foot in the Mushroom King's castle. However, he was the one who found and brought in Geno. He would receive the ultimate reward from his master's family.


	8. Chapter 8

Captain Toad and two breathtaking hostesses escorted Geno into a magnificent penthouse suite overlooking all of Toad Town. Room after room appointed in a careful mix of elegant tradition and ultra modern. In a city where space was precious, Geno quickly realized the paradise the Mushroom King lived in. Geno looked back and saw Vivian in the hallway, her back to him. She looked sharp in that black two piece suit thought Geno.

The wall mounted projector was on, showing the Mushroom King. Snippets and highlights of his life in the Toadstool Kingdom's visual news broadcasts. It was a retrospective montage. Photos with world leaders like King Murphy, the Kerog and... Sir Grodus. Displays of humanitarian efforts including those of water, medicine and food. A hand on his shoulder, Geno turned around quickly.

"I have been granted close quarters, I am at your service," informed the officer before walking out.

Geno closed the door, locked it and then bolted it in place. He did not want to be disturbed.

* * *

After waiting a while outside of Geno's quarters, Vivian huffed out to the right and headed towards her office. Making it to her desk, she picked up the file labeled Mario Segale. Allowing herself a faint smile when King Shake and Queen Merelda entered the room, Vivian also gave a faint hint of surprise. "Oh, wow, you scared me my king," said Vivian. "I came to get the Mario file for tomorrow."

"Are you lying?" asked Merelda.

"I'm sorry? Excuse me?" asked Vivian, defensively.

"Vivian... did you see who was in this room before you?" asked King Shake.

"I... didn't," answered Vivian. "I was outside of our guest's room and only just entered."

"Put yourself in my position," requested Shake. "I'm a very respected man on the Ruling Council. If you're seen telling people anything that could hurt me... you've been a very good chauffeur Vivian, but can I take that chance?" Vivian felt cold, unable to answer. "Is your life worth more than my reputation?"

"Forgive me, my king," requested Vivian. "I'll go back to guarding, our guest's door."

"Our guest?" asked Shake.

"The one that Captain Toad from Petal Meadows brought in," said Vivian. "The one the Mushroom King had been looking for."

There was a tense silence between the three beings in the room as the royals considered Geno's arrival. Shake smirked and chuckled prompting Vivian to quiver out a wary smile as the king gently placed his hand on her shoulder. Then in an instant, he savagely pushed her out of the window. If she saw Bowser Jr, she could ruin everything - especially if she found out who Mario Segale was.

* * *

Vivian swirled downwards through shattering glass and snowflakes in tragic beauty, her skin taking on a violet hue as the trauma began to drain her brain. Her body slammed to the side of a flagpole, spun a bit and began to descend to the ground below. Her eyes creaked open as she acknowledged the gravel she was just in, wet by a pool of her blood. She looked at her hand, it seemed to be drained of blood. It was all purple. It hurt to turn her head, but she looked at her other hand, it was fading... turning invisible.

What had Shake done to her? Her eyes looked above to the window high up top, Shake and Merelda looking down at her corpse from their castle. For all she knew they were discussing her funeral and if they would even pay for it. Then without a hint of remorse, they turned and left.

The snow drifted around her body, her torn clothes giving way to a unique visage. Half violet, half invisible. She looked at her hair, once black and now... pink. What was happening to her? She thought for a second... it was hard to concentrate. Her mother was a siren who had lived in Dark Land. Could she be turning into a siren? No. The thought of that was unbearable. Her eyes shut, fixated on that word: siren.

"Siren," she whispered, accepting it and her eyes shot back awake. The colour that was once in them was gone, replaced by a white emptiness.


	9. Chapter 9

Groggily, Geno awoke from his deep sleep on the sofa. Snow softly beat against the windows behind him, the door to the side opened and Captain Toad entered the room. "I trust that you slept well," said the Captain. "Your kind have met my master before. They left a deep impression on him. He spent a considerable portion of his wealth to discover all he could about you."

"Well, what does he want with me? Why now?" asked Geno. The question seemed to strike a nerve with Captain Toad but before he could answer, Geno noticed a small plastic x on his collar. Flicking it off, it bounced on the floor and Captain Toad picked it up. "What's that?"

"It isn't yours?" asked Captain Toad, Geno shook his head. No. Why the hell would he bring a small x? "Did you leave your room last night?"

"Never even left the couch," said Geno. "Now, can we go meet the old man?"

"Geno... wait," paused Captain Toad. "Unless you have another explanation as to how this came to be, we have to assume somebody placed it on your person while you were asleep."

"My person?" laughed Geno. "Who could even do that? To me, I mean. Enough with this, let's go."

Geno and Captain Toad sat in the back of the carriage. There was a different chauffeur, perhaps that girl... Vivian had gotten sick or something. Making it to a main street, Geno emerged to a somber scene where hundreds of Toads were standing under black umbrellas. Due to his strange attire, Geno's presence was off putting but the attendees were too polite to stare and only stole glances. Looking around, trying to figure out the scene, Geno was distracted by an argument at the front door between a red haired young boy, whose hands were covered by strange gloves and the doorman. In rage, the doorman shoved the boy into the gutter. Humiliated, the boy stormed off past Geno, muttering something about telling King Shake. Wait... "King" Shake?

Upon entering the auditorium, people removed their coats to reveal their traditional Toadstool garb. Geno found himself in a room full of seats facing a stage draped in red velvet. Turned out that he was on the receiving line for some high occasion for a select group. The crowd parted behind Geno and the captain. Men bowed deeply to a respectable looking figure whom Geno remembered as Prince Shake, husband of Princess Merelda. Why did the boy call him King Shake? "That is Shake, my master's son-in-law. We must pay the deepest of respects to him."

On the stage, Geno spied a porcelain urn with a black sash and a portrait of the Mushroom King. Noting the staunch expression on the men, the crying women an the fact that Shake was king, it finally hit Geno. "The Mushroom King is dead?" asked Geno.

"I never said he was alive," responded Captain Toad.

"You could have said he was," said Geno.

"I merely gave the instructions passed out to all officers of my stature," maintained Captain Toad.

"If he's dead, what am I doing here?" asked Geno.

Many people lined up to bow to King Shake and peering at the crowd behind the royal, Geno was awe stricken upon looking at her. He tried to remember her name? Timpani was it? Yes. Lady Timpani. "Remember Geno," said Captain Toad. "I have been told, as have other officers of my stature, that you are free to leave whenever you want but may only collect what you require when you honour your gift." Before Geno could even ask what that meant, he found himself face to face with King Shake. A lean but built man, Shake was not particularly imposing but his look did warrant respect. To the mute shock of everyone, though, it was Shake who bowed to Geno and handed off the respect. This left Geno face to face with Lady Timpani and unsure of what to do.

Shake straightened and extended his hand to Geno, who took it and shook it. "I understand my father-in-law was acquainted with your kind."

"I suppose in... a manner of speaking," said Geno. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"He was a great man, he will be missed," said Shake. "It's been what, two months since we lost him? Excuse my manners but the memory is still fresh." Geno frowned slightly - he could see right through the phony expression on Shake's face. What was this man up to? Shake stepped away and Timpani bowed politely. "You'll forgive me for saying so, but my father-in-law never spoke about you at all. When you were mentioned so reverently in his will, it shocked everyone. Is it an awkward question?"

"An awkward answer," answered Geno, fitting the pieces together once more. The Mushroom King must have had some access to the Star Road to have met people like him.

"The Mushroom King and his mysteries," sighed Shake. "Perhaps after the ceremony you will remain a guest at our home. There you can share as much or little as you like about the Star people. I will not pry."

"I'd be honoured," answered Geno.

"The honour is mine," said Shake. With that, they parted and took their seats, Shake and his family sitting far away from Geno and Captain Toad.

"What can you tell me about that Lady Timpani?" asked Geno.

"She is an heiress to a corporation and a hungry woman, desiring power," answered Captain Toad. "She is, however, fair but some may consider her insensitive and her very being here insulting. After all, not hours after the Mushroom King's passing she pushed for the formation of the Ruling Council. Within five days she managed to divide power between herself, Princess Peach, Queen Merelda and King Shake. In spite of this, the public loves her. I think it may have to do with the fact that she always seeks to make life better, not unlike the Mushroom King in fact." Geno nodded, trying to absorb all of that.

Just then, a man with violet skin reached the receiving line. Shake clearly did not recognize him, but remained cordial. Geno, however did, this was a D-Man... one of Queen Jaydes' soldiers from the Minus World! Within an instant, just as Geno had thought would happen, the D-Man lashed out with a tano knife. Geno jumped into action, reacting on instinct alone and drove his hand into the D-Man's throat, crushing it. Seven more thugs rose up from the crowd, rushing Shake, who calmly stood his ground and covered Merelda.

Geno vaulted over two rows of seats and crushed a D-Man's head under his boot, landing face to face with a blonde woman in a pink dress. Who was this? He had no time to think as more and more D-Men attacked. "Star man," said the woman. "Utilize your power." Geno wanted to avoid using it, but clearly he had to. Summoning his blue beam, Geno made sure that it would only knock the attackers out and took out several D-Men at once. He glanced around and saw Timpani stunned at that display. Was she fascinated, or terrified? Quickly turning, Geno noticed another D-Man stepping up behind Peach.

Captain Toad leapt in the thug's way, despite having no weapon. The D-Man took one swing and the police officer went flying to the floor. Peach maintained her composure, even as the D-Man neared with a large machete and started to swing. Geno began to run, but there was no way he could make it in time. Yet, somebody leapt over top him and crushed the D-Man under his boots. "Go find Timpani!" begged Captain Toad pointing to the woman being dragged away by D-Men. Quickly rushing and punching the D-Men off, Geno grabbed her arm and led her out a door and into an alley.

Seeing police at the far end of the alley, Geno started to lead Timpani that way until he noticed men in red coats with black straps engaging the cops in gunfire. Pulling Timpani the other way, Geno recoiled as the front of his shirt was cut open. A slash down his chest became visible, shocking even Timpani. A gleaming steel scepter swung for his head but Geno ducked and rolled as the sharp end missed him narrowly time and time again. Dodging a straight lunge, the scepter became stuck in a brick wall giving Geno the sight of a terrifying figure.

He stepped back for the first time in fear as he realized who he was up against: Sir Grodus of the X-Nauts.


	10. Chapter 10

Geno extended his hands and prepared to take his first piece out of Sir Grodus. In one fluid motion, Grodus swung his staff, tearing it out of the brick wall and ending it an arch at Geno's head. Clearly Grodus was surprised, nobody could have ducked out the way with the staff going at the speed it was. Trying to go on the attack, Geno realized very quickly that Sir Grodus was fast and calm. The few times in the brief scuffle Geno did manage to hit the leader of the X-Nauts, it seemed like it did nothing. Grodus kicked Geno back, with him landing on the ground hard. This was what he had been waiting for, Geno knew: defeating Sir Grodus. Yet, he had to consider his options with Lady Timpani.

Smashing the manhole beneath him open, Geno quickly grabbed Timpani and sent them landing knee deep in a torrent of rushing water. Timpani hesitated for a second to follow a running Geno, but when she looked up and noticed the menacing Sir Grodus above them, she too gave pursuit. Together, they were swept away by the water, hoping that it would get them to safety.

* * *

As the sun began to fall, it took a moment in its descent to glow on sweating, cocked back head of Mario as through a small oval window. He leaned on a chair situated before the gurneys carrying the wounded and securing the D-Men. Flicking away his attempts at understanding why these purple men had caused the chaos they did the last few weeks, Mario decided to concentrate on the more troubling matter. Civilians were reporting a shootout between the X-Nauts and the police not too far away from the auditorium.

What were the X-Nauts doing in the Toadstool Kingdom? From what he had been able to gather, after Lord Crump's humiliating defeat and death when King K. Rool turned on him, the X-Nauts had lost power. Their tyranny was ironically ended by Bowser, who used Delfino Isle to open fire and destroy an entire nation. There had been rumors Sir Grodus had been running the X-Nauts as a terrorist force and that clearly seemed to be the case. If Sir Grodus consolidated enough power, he could take back everything the X-Nauts lost, maybe more.

Princess Peach was on the far end of the room, attending to her cousin, Prince Pine. She gave an annoying look at the radio. There was Shake, getting ready to make a huge broadcast and only moments ago, they were all attacked. Only moments ago, Lady Timpani was kidnapped. She knew Shake and Timpani could care less for each other, but Shake should have cancelled his appearance. Choosing to take it, especially after the second attack on her family in such a short time just seemed suspicious.

Mario wandered onto Peach's side, punching notes on his iPhone - or at least the Toadstool equivalent of one. Surprisingly, the Toadstool Kingdom did get Internet and while their versions of Google and Facebook were, well, different, it was a good substitute. Already everyone was clamoring about the huge showdown between the cops and the X-Nauts. Good, with focus off the D-Men it would give Mario time to find out where these purple people were coming from without interruption. He had left his home, his Earth for this place - these monsters would not ruin that.

"Everyone, it's me, King Shake," crackled the lean king's voice through the radio. Huddling around the radio with Peach and Pine, Mario listened in to the broadcast. He found it odd, how Merelda, despite being Peach's younger sister, inherited the throne because she lived in the Toadstool her whole life. Just because Peach grew up with him in Brooklyn, Mario thought it was wrong to deny her, well her birthright. Then again, according to Peach, she and the Mushroom King had a slew of arguments. Merelda was always quieter and more willing. It was why she married Shake. Peach, on the other hand, was always angry that Kamek had whisked her away from Mario. "Today I have a special announcement to make with a very special guest to our nation. He is young, yes, but he is ideal."

The words that came next were the most shocking and frustrating that he had heard since his arrival in the Toadstool Kingdom. They also confirmed all his suspicions about the mysterious King Shake.

"My name, is Bowser Jr," said the voice of a young boy. Mario nearly fell over. "I am not the man my father was. Genocide occurs, and our names are linked by blood. D-Men attack the Toadstool Kingdom and I am nearly killed in the assault. A Toad is murdered and a Kremling tortured, all done under the order of my father. I tell you, I am a child who wholeheartedly rejects everything my father stood for." Suddenly, the broadcast began to play over the PA and Pine quickly turned off the radio. This was broadcasting out to the whole city, the attack on the auditorium must have damaged some audio systems. That must've been why it took so long for the broadcast to play. "The closest I ever came to happiness was listening to the cheers of the Kremlings after the death of my father was announced. The closest I ever came to joy, was the cheering of the world as they rejoiced over the fall of Delfino Isle. And I? I'm happy my father is dead."

The tension in the auditorium was palpable. They clearly did not know what to expect. The royals seemed confused as to what the point was, of this broadcast, but clearly most people were feeling for Bowser Jr. He had lost everything, but was glad for it. Mario looked at Peach, but was unable to read her face. He looked at Pine, he seemed... happy? Happy for the kid. Mario himself was conflicted. He wanted to give Jr the benefit of the doubt, but there was too much bad blood between their family.

"I lived in the ruins of Wario's land, scared to come out to you. Scared because I did not believe any of you would accept me. Yet after the D-Men nearly killed me, I can tell you, it is the worst of times. I have a terrible feeling that they will cause a major crimewave and will try and topple the Toadstool Kingdom! Already, Lady Timpani has fled in fear of the X-Nauts. With people like her in charge, the D-Men will destroy Toad Town! Shake, I don't mean any offense here. Why should they listen to me? My father's name has damned me. I know Toads are the most accepting people in the Koopahari, but I would not be hardpressed to understand why they reject me if they do. Just as the Toads whom I have revealed myself to, I want to give love. I want to teach this city how to love again, so that we can beat the D-Men. Someone to remind you of how far you can fall if you don't have love. Someone like me."

There was a pause.

Then somebody outside the auditorium started cheering. Soon the royals and nobles inside started cheering. Mario felt uncomfortable but Bowser Jr felt on top of the world.


	11. Chapter 11

Even from the inside of the boiler room, Geno and Timpani could hear the entire broadcast. Bowser Jr. So the devil had a son. Timpani's name had been slandered by Jr live on air, that would have disastrous consequences for her political future but from what Geno gathered, she was more happy to have not been skewered by the X-Nauts. Luckily Grodus was unable to follow and thankfully the D-Men had been defeated by Geno in the auditorium. Geno was exhausted, though, that trip through the sewers had not been pleasant. Nonetheless, he and Timpani took a moment to collect themselves.

Timpani walked over towards him, his wounds seeming nonexistent. Their eyes met and Timpani kissed him, gentle but lingering. It was clearly more than a thank you. "You're not crying?" she asked, in regards to the broadcast.

"I'm not crying," said Geno. "And he's not for real."

Heading for the door, Geno opened it. The crowds were all cheering in favor of Bowser Jr, clearly to this ecstatic crowd, the presence of the deserter Lady Timpani would not be taken kindly. That had to be a perfect storm, realized Geno, two vicious attacks by the D-Men and a shootout between the X-Nauts and the police? The Toadstool Kingdom were scared and willing to put their faith in Bowser Jr. Scared people never made conscious decisions.

"I'm safe with you," said Timpani as Geno closed the door.

"Don't be too sure," sighed Geno.

Looking around the room, he noted a staircase heading up on the far left side. Sighing again, Geno motioned for Timpani to follow him and led her up.

* * *

There was chaos and confusion as the police sealed off the area next to the auditorium. People wanted to see what had happened in the building and they wanted to see where the police had fought the X-Nauts. More importantly, they wanted to see King Shake. They wanted to see the beloved royal who had offered them a way out of the two recent attacks they had suffered. In the rain soaked crowd, though, Shake emerged and made his way towards Captain Toad, who was escorting Prince Pine into an ambulance.

"Where is Geno?" asked Shake.

"We'll find him, my king," promised Captain Toad. "But first we need to tend to the wounded."

"Find him, nothing else matters," said Shake.

He had seen what Geno could do, and he knew what Geno was. Exactly how the Mushroom King knew of him was as of yet a mystery but from what Shake had seen first hand, Geno was the only one who could stop his plans. Well, Geno and Mario but he had plans for the plumber.

* * *

Looking down from a dizzying height, Geno dropped down to the top floor balcony of a hotel and forced the door open with ease. He looked up at Timpani and extended his arms. She was seated on the top and contemplated the drop. To the balcony it was not a short drop, but to miss? Well, then she would splatter on the ground. Without hesitating, though, she dropped and Geno easily caught her in mid air. In fright, maybe, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly.

The opulence of the empty suite was in stark contrast to the wet and bedraggled occupants entering. Geno carried Timpani across the threshold, but she was chilled to the bone. Geno rushed into the shower, turning the water on full. He tried to get her down, but Timpani just clung on to him. He moved to speak, but when he tried, she put her hand on his mouth. There would clearly be no talking. He tried to talk anyway, though and so she kissed him. It did not take long for the gentleman to give way to the animal.

Very soon, a trail of wet clothes led from the shower to the bed where Timpani slept peacefully. Geno stood over her, a wounded look on his face put there by a deep suffering in his past. An anguish without a name. As the sun came up, Geno had hardly changed his position. Timpani stirred and looked up at him and asked if they had done it. "You fell asleep in the shower," he answered. He could not tell if she was relieved or disappointed.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"All night," he answered.

"The way you looked at Sir Grodus," she said.

"What about it?" asked Geno.

"Did he take something from you?" she asked.

"No... I don't know... I don't," stammered Geno.

"Why are you here? In the Toadstool Kingdom?" she asked.

"You know Bowser Jr will take your council spot, right?' asked Geno. That caught her off guard. It took her a few seconds to recover, but once she did, she nodded her head. "Just like that."

"If it is what happens, I must accept it," said Timpani.

"But can't you go against Shake?" asked Geno.

"Going against Shake doesn't matter," said Timpani. "I will always serve something greater."

"The Toadstool Kingdom," sighed Geno.

"You understand?" she asked.

"No," he answered.

"You should sleep."

"I gave it up."

She clearly didn't buy that and moved over in the bed, making room for him. Geno hesitated, but her eyes insisted and so he sat down on the bed, unsure of what would happen next. Timpani gently pushed him back down on a pillow, touched his cheek and traced a finger gently across his lips and then eyebrows. "Close your eyes," she said and he did. "When I was a little girl, I had terrible nightmares. My father would tell me to go to sleep and face my fears. My grandfather was different. He would tell me stories about the Star. A fierce and terrible creature that would do whatever I commanded. He would protect me from my fears."

"Star," whispered Geno. "Did the nightmares stop?"

"Yes...," she said, her voice trailing off. "But as a little girl, I never believed that those stories could be real. Do as I say, close your eyes and let me watch over you. Now sleep." Geno closed his eyes and exhaustion took over.


	12. Chapter 12

The candlelight was a warm fire, Geno came out of the bedroom to find the table set for two. Timpani was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the dinner. "Sit and eat," she told him as she brought him something more akin to art than food. But he still ate. Eventually the moonlight faded to a pale blue before giving way for sunrise once more. The dinner plates had gone and were replaced by breakfast. The sun rose and set two more times as Geno and Timpani stole the normal life that neither had, Geno due to his solitude and Timpani due to her quest for power. It felt good, but whether the two would admit that was a different matter.

Standing in the massive bay window overlooking Toad Town, Timpani tried to teach him the history of the Toadstool Kingdom but he had no patience for it. Well, at least until it got interesting in the events of the last two months. It was very quickly after the Mushroom King died that the Ruling Council had been formed and Timpani had been allowed to improve the lives of people. However, there were strange weather patterns, premonitions and such that just stopped randomly. Out in Petal Meadows, Geno had not experienced anything of the sort but there even he would be remiss to say that there had not been strange occurrences. As rumor had it, the God Kamek, who was worshipped by the Koopas and Piantas, had been killed and the killer, Super Mario, was now in Toad Town. During the first attack by the D-Men, people had allegedly claimed to have seen the warrior, with fireballs spitting out of his hands. These were all unconfirmed reports, though.

Each night, though, she would lay him down. Talking softly in his ear, holding his hand or rubbing his shoulders. Then watching over him while he slept fitfully, touching him reassuringly at even the slightest distress. Each night, he slept a little easier. Despite his pride, even Geno knew that this was healthy for him. One night, though, something small and soft fell out of Geno's pocket and onto the carpet. As soon as Timpani picked the object up, she was able to identify it and immediately her expression darkened. Geno's eyes rolled behind their eyelids in relaxed sleep. He awoke not with a start, but with a mere flinch and was happy to see Timpani watching over him. He smiled, but she did not. She held out her palm, revealing the miniature X, the same one Captain Toad had been haranguing him about. "What the Hell is the deal with that thing?" asked Geno.

"Before Bowser, before Grodus, before Rool... there was the age of Smithy," said Timpani. "From the darkest days in the Koopahari, only the X-Nauts emerged. You have been marked for death, my Star."

Geno studied the tiny X as Timpani poured him tea.

"Marked...," he sighed. Why would Grodus come after him then? Why not send an assassin? From the X-Naut Trading Company, the rulers of Nautical, the frozen nation of the Arctic Abyss, Sir Grodus had transformed his organization into the Secret Society of X-Nauts. Geno wondered for a second. What if Bowser never destroyed the Arctic Abyss, would Grodus still come after him?

"Marked by the X-Nauts," clarified Timpani and Geno scoffed. "It is said they do not eat or sleep until they kill their intended victim. But first they send a warning. A single small bead of an X."

"Come on. What sort of assassins tell you they're coming?' asked Geno.

"Assassins bound by a strict code of honour," answered Timpani. "They do not kill for a living. Killing is their way of life. It is their faith. This bead is only a warning. Your only chance for survival."

"Yeah? How's that?" asked Geno.

"According to myth, you must challenge their master and kill him in combat," said Timpani. "But you've already failed at that."

"I'll try again, where is he?" asked Geno.

"He used to be in the Arctic Abyss, but ever since Delfino Isle, nobody knows," answered Timpani. Geno laughed and bounced the X on the table. "This is no laughing matter, you should leave Toad Town. Tonight."

"I'm not ready to do that," said Geno.

"Geno... why did you come here?" asked Timpani.

"That's a long story," he said.

"Tell me," she insisted. "You're safe here. Tell me."

Geno smiled and shook his head but Timpani placed her hand on his arm and looked at him firmly. So Geno opened his mouth to speak, but found himself at a loss for words. It was not that he would not speak, he could not. She held on to him for the longest time as he tried to tell her who he was. How as a child, the Star Road was shattered and he fell to the Koopahari. How he lived in pain in Nautical, a vagabond living on the scraps of the Trading Company ships. The harder Geno tried to tell her, the harder it became. His eyes burned with tears, his face trembled and overcome with years of pain and repressed emotions, years of pain, Geno was paralyzed. Understanding him with immense clarity, Timpani wrapped her arms around Geno and held him tightly.

So he slept soundly and for the first time when he awoke, he did so slowly and quietly. He was at peace.


	13. Chapter 13

Geno looked up, expecting to find Timpani but she was nowhere to be seen. The suite was silent, empty and there was no food on the table. The television showed the aftermath of the Mushroom King's funeral, Bowser Jr's young face was all over the screen. Curious at first, Geno moved from one room to the next. His anxiety increased as he realized he could not find Timpani. Then he found a note and read it:

 _"My Star,_

 _Go where you must, looking only to the future. I go where I must, looking only to the past._

 _\- Lady Timpani_ "

Geno let the note fall to the floor. Was he stunned, or crushed? He could stand in that room all day contemplating his feelings on the matter. Yet he froze, sensing something. Following his keen intuition to the front door, Geno waited for a minute and then with blinding speed, tore the door open. Grabbing a man from the hallway, Geno pinned him against the wall and looked him in the face: it was Captain Toad. "Your trail was not hard to follow. Now where is she? Changes to the Ruling Council are inevitable, her presence is required."

"I get the feeling that she doesn't want to be around," said Geno.

"Geno, please," begged Captain Toad.

Geno let the captain go and allowed him to enter the suite. Why would King Shake send Captain Toad? This man's jurisdiction was in Petal Meadows, he was only in Toad Town to accompany Geno. Perhaps he had been sent because of his familiarity with the Star.

"Where's the information that you promised me?" asked Geno.

Captain Toad turned around, momentarily confused.

"How can I get home? What do the X-Nauts have to do with the Star Road? What did the Mushroom King want from me?" pressured Geno. "Where are my answers? You said you had them."

"Geno, please I told you the conditions," said Captain Toad.

"Yeah, yeah - she's not here," said Geno. Captain Toad stopped searching and turned to face Geno. "The Mushroom King knew I was down here in the Koopahari, maybe he didn't know exactly where but he knew enough of me to know I was important. Since then I've saved his entire family. The way I see it, the honourable thing to do right now is tell me how I can go home."

"There is more to honour than doing the right thing," rebutted Captain Toad.

"What other kind of honour is there?" asked Geno.

"When you can answer that, you will have your peace," answered Captain Toad. "Now, we don't have time for this. We must find Lady Timpani right away."

"When were you going to tell me about the X-Nauts?" asked Geno. Captain Toad failed to hide his surprise.

"Would you have believed me?" asked Captain Toad.

"I got the hell out of Nautical as soon as Delfino Isle came overhead, so I guess not," answered Geno. "But why did they assault the police?"

"I feel that the X-Nauts have gotten accustomed to working with the Toad Town underworld," hypothesized Captain Toad.

"That's a shame, I thought that the X-Nauts were gone but they've really gone back to their roots. Didn't expect Sir Grodus himself to attack me," said Geno, much to Captain Toad's bewildered look. "A little conspicuous? Maybe not."

"What... happened?" asked Captain Toad.

"That's two times the D-Men have attacked King Shake, why?" asked Geno, ignoring Captain Toad.

"I cannot say," said Captain Toad.

"Bet it has something to do with Bowser Jr," said Geno. "I saw him outside of the funeral. He was trying to get in, pretty angry." By Captain Toad's strained expression, Geno had clearly hit a nerve. "He's evil."

"What... makes you think that?' asked Captain Toad.

"Intuition, now, who do we go after? The D-Men or the X-Nauts?" asked Geno.

"It's not important," sighed Captain Toad.

"Both tried to kill Timpani," said Geno. "Now tell me who I am."

"I am not permitted to discuss this with you at this time," said Captain Toad. "I am bound to an oath by my master. Yes, I never met him. Yes, he is dead. But my loyalty to him is not dead. Please, we must find Timpani - not go against these organizations - if you care for her at all. I can see you have feelings for her." Geno turned to the window and looked down at Toad Town.

"I have feelings, I don't know who they're for but they fit nice on her," said Geno. "She's the only thing that can make sense so don't tell me to put her out of my mind. After all, I can't even trust my mind. My mind is broken." Pointing to his heart, Geno was prepared to give this officer an impassioned speech if need be. "I trust this. This is never wrong. This never forgets. It goes where it wants and when it gets there, it stays, forever. I didn't ask for Timpani any more than I asked to fall off the Star Road."

"I'm sorry, Geno," apologized Captain Toad. "Truly. But even if her very life was not in question, you could never have her. She is noble blood, she is Lady Timpani. You are... well up until a little bit ago nobody even knew if the Star people were real." Captain Toad's silence thereafter told Geno that he was right, and so he nodded his head bitterly. Geno had long since gotten used to things not panning out his way.

"I may not be worthy in the eyes of the precious Toadstool royals and their police officers," said Geno, "but I can save this city." With that, Geno pushed past Captain Toad and began to make his way out.

"Where are you going?" asked Captain Toad.

"Somebody wants Timpani dead," said Geno. "Either the D-Men do or the X-Nauts do, I'm going to find out which and stop them."

With that, Geno slammed the door behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

Ornaments on the humongous Toad Town plaza popped and exploded and a repairman shouted for the power to be disabled. Other mechanics hustled about the ornaments, to make sure nothing went terribly wrong. Mario gazed at this hapless exercise and took a look at the rest of the sweeping and cleaning crew, still trying to fix the ruins of the D-Mens' first attack despite it being quite a while after now. Toad Town wasn't so much different than New York City, but it was still taking Mario some getting used to. Most of the citizens were Toads, although there were some Kremlings here or there. If they knew of his heritage as a Koopa, Mario had no idea how the public would react. But he wasn't a Koopa, right? He was a human. A human from New York City. It was his father who was a Koopa.

Entering the hectic department store, Wario's Warehouse, Mario visually inhaled the store's interior tacky decorations. It's memorabilia of a time long gone past, strange toys modelled after King K. Rool and the heroic Luigi who stopped him. Luigi...

Depressed in thought, Mario made for the elevator and began to make his way up. He missed New York City, but this was his world now. He could get to Shake's office from the top of the Warehouse, just one big jump.

* * *

Shake and Merelda gave deadpan stares to Wario's Warehouse, watching Mario enter it from above. This was the very room they had been in when the D-Men made their first attack. What on Earth could Mario be doing in that place wondered Shake. He hardly noticed Mario jump over to his building and thus never noticed him enter the room from behind. "Shake, interesting security you've got going on below," said Mario. Of course Shake was still fearful, he did not want Bowser Jr to turn on him. Mario made his way to Shake and the two had a firm handshake.

"Yeah, I don't want those D-Men to return, you know, they're quite dangerous to us," said Shake.

"No," said Mario. "I recognized many of those men from my time in Rogueport." Mario was willing to bet anything that Shake had hired former Shy Guys, or worse, members of Ms. Mowz's Shy Squad.

"Interesting," muttered Shake with caution. "I would offer you coffee, but I'm afraid my assistant and chauffeur Vivian is on vacation time. Death in the family so she's out by Petal Meadows."

"Anything to do with the excitement a few days ago?" asked Mario, referring to the D-Men's second assault. Or was he talking about the X-Nauts' shootout? Shake couldn't tell.

"You don't know the half of it," said Shake. "Well, neither do I. Had my first encounter with an X-Naut yesterday, detained by the police. Have you ever, met one?"

"No, well, kind of," admitted Mario. Did Lord Crump count? He had seen plenty of X-Nauts, but he had never met a foot soldier personally. "What did he say?"

"Hell, I thought he'd be devoted but he's suicidal for Sir Grodus," said Shake. "Claims someone called Tatanga will bring incredible fire to the world in retribution. Little on the quiet side, though, wouldn't say anything else. Not like I would expect him to cooperate, of course. I wonder if he was involved in that whole business with Kalypso years ago, though. Your brother saved the world, then, right? Have you...?"

"I haven't seen him since then," admitted Mario.

"Oh, well that's unfortunate," said Shake. "You should probably find him, try and find out what kind of a rut he's in. You could save him, right? After all, rumor has it you did go toe to toe with Rool, right?"

"He was pretty frightening," said Mario, smiling. In an instant, though, he lost that smile and turned serious. "I need information Shake, I need to stop the D-Men before they hurt Peach. Besides, with your whole association with Bowser's son..." Mario could see that had the intended effect, as Shake clenched his fist. Clearly something was going on. Either Mario could be seen as a threat to Shake's plans, or Shake was acting under coercion. Or Mario was still that same mistrusting kid from Brooklyn.

"Bowser Jr is a misunderstood child who wants to make a difference," said Shake. "The public sees that... when are you going to drop this Super Mario charade? This isn't your world."

"Shake, I need to find the D-Men," said Mario. "You know as well as I do, that if we don't stop them as soon as possible this city will be aflame and Sir Grodus will never even have to step foot in the country. You married Merelda, yet she hasn't said a word to me without your permission first. Your controlling her, hell, does she even have an opinion of her own anymore? You can rule this country however you want, but I just got Peach back and I won't lose her because you're too prideful to deal with a situation."

Shake had no clue what to say to Mario, but thankfully the phone rung at that moment. "Hold that thought," said Shake to Mario before answering the call.

"Shake, my man. How's it hanging?" asked Bowser Jr. "Every time I go outside, I hold the hearts of you Toads in the palm of my hand! Wait, I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Shake grimaced a smile, to try and show Mario that he was on the phone with somebody less conniving, but it came out pained. "Anyways, I just called to tell you that your people have almost got the transferal of power materials ready. Find that Lady Timpani! We need her!"

Hanging up, Shake deceptively made eye contact with Mario. How could he defeat this superpowered being if he was giving in to an eleven year old? He had to hold his own. He was the king in Toad country! Mario looked away for a second, it was clear that Shake had been on the phone with somebody that made him uncomfortable. It reminded Mario of whenever he had to deal with Eddie Scapelli. Could it be that Shake was talking with Bowser Jr? Probably. Mario made his way to Shake and shook his hand again. "No hard feelings?" asked Mario.

"No feelings at all," said Shake. "Sorry about the interruption. I usually need Vivian to screen out..."

"Relax, there she is now," Mario pointed out the woman in the red and white cap coming forth. She was wearing quite a bit of makeup he noted, she looked slightly violet.

"Come again?" asked Shake and he turned to see a spunkier, slyer, more assertively dressed and coiffed Vivian sashay into the conference room. Her hand was bandaged, Mario could see beneath the gloves, and there appeared to be a scar on her temple. Well, it could have just been a mistake in her makeup, but Mario had his bets on her having had been hurt. "Vivian... Vivian... Vivian..."

"That's my name, my king, don't wear it out," requested Vivian.

"Vivian, this is Mario...," introduced Shake.

"What happened to your hand?" asked Mario.

"Let's just say the D-Men weren't very kind," said Vivian. "I mean, I couldn't see where they were coming from or who operated them. Next thing you know, though, I'm sprawled over in the snow making all sorts of connections in my head." Then she looked at Shake. "Thing is, I can't remember how I got in the snow and I can't remember any of those connections I made with the D-Men. I mean, it isn't complete amnesia. I know I missed the Mushroom King's funeral. Last little bit, it's been a complete blur."

"Well, at least you're okay," Shake deadpanned.

"It's hard to get your ass kicked and keep your sense of humor," praised Mario.

"Are you talking from experience?" asked Vivian.

"Of course," said Mario.

Nobody paid attention to Merelda at that moment, she nearly dropped the coffee that was in her hand at the sight of Vivian. Oblivious to what had gone on, Mario excused himself and departed, leaving the two royals with their diver. They watched as Mario closed the door behind him and Vivian kept her back to her two attackers. Then she merrily turned around, smiled and similarly left. Shake deflated, this was a complication.


	15. Chapter 15

The concussive impact of the punch which sent the boxer flying to the guard hardly impressed Geno. This sport, which had been ripped from another universe - boxing it was called - was hardly something he considered worth it time, no matter how one could actually get into it. Besides, humans probably did it much better than Toads. The audience was cheering and chain smoking at the same time. In the ring above, the winning Toad raised his arms in victory and Geno turned away, disgusted. There it was, the executive box. Plenty of men in suits surrounded one man, clearly their leader. No, these weren't Toads... these were Piantas. This was the Pianta Crime Syndicate.

Rank was obvious. Geno factored in age, body language and the amount of overall movement. The oldest Pianta, likely in his mid sixties, sat dead center and was motionless, surrounded by his goons. He was clearly the top dog, the Don Pianta. Geno studied the box for a while, and then stood up off his seat and made his way for it. It took a moment before he sensed somebody walking behind him, around the edge of his right shoulder. Geno stopped and turned, coming face to face with... Vivian. The chauffeur. She looked a little different, her face was covered with makeup.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Geno.

"I am your shadow," answered Vivian.

"My what?" asked Geno.

"Your shadow, I'm trying to solve the same mystery as you," she clarified.

"Go... go wait in the car," stammered Geno. What was wrong with her skin? The makeup on her made her look so artificial. Vivian just stood there, refusing to budge. "Look, I don't have time to deal with you. Just follow me and keep your mouth shut." Somehow he doubted that she would. Geno sighed and approached the executive box, bodyguards blocked his path and one tucked a hand in Geno's jacket. "Remove your hand or I'll break it off."

"Private party, go around," gritted the bodyguard.

"I want to talk to the Don Pianta," said Geno. The bodyguards blanched, the very name of their boss was not one that was to be spoken lightly. Geno pointed at the immobile man seated in the center. "Right there, the Don Pianta. That's what they call him, right?" The Don Pianta did not react, even if the other goons in the box did. The bodyguards pressed close, one of them jabbing a knife in Geno's chest. "You're going to have to eat with a tube when I'm done with you," warned Geno.

"Star boy," said a voice behind Geno. Turning, Geno came face to face with a slick, lean gangster. This man was in the box before? Standing right over the shoulder of the Don Pianta. How did he slip out? Either way, this was likely the underboss. "What is it you want?"

"I want to talk to your boss," said Geno.

"Why would he want to talk back?" asked the underboss.

"Because I'm the devil and I might just be here for his soul," warned Geno. Beat, the underboss jerked his head to the two bodyguards who permitted Geno and Vivian, shoving them along. Geno decided to play along. Escorted down a long, narrow corridor, a door was opened to reveal the locker room. The underboss stood there, smoking and so was the Don Pianta. How did they get there so fast? The Don Pianta was again, motionless. "You wanted to talk about something, start talking."

"Who's after the royal family?" asked Geno.

"Is that your speech?" asked the underboss.

"That's the speech," answered Geno. "Anything happens to Queen Merelda or her husband, you guys would know about it, right? If anything happens, well, I'll skin your boss and hang you down from Toadstool Castle." There was a long pause, and then the Don Pianta and the underboss started laughing for a few minutes.

"Let me ask you something, star boy," said the underboss. "Does the Don Pianta look stupid to you? He made what you are the moment you entered."

"Really?" asked Geno. Chances were, Geno's arrival and species as a star had likely been leaked by a guest at the Mushroom King's funeral.

"The stones on you," applauded the underboss. "Do you have any idea the heat we have on us, right now? Do you have any idea the heat we would have if Queen Merelda and King Shake wound up dead? Or any member of the council for that matter? Does the Don Pianta look like a man who enjoys heat? Asks for it? Asks for knowledge pertaining to two dangerous parties causing trouble inside and outside of a funeral? With a very dangerous man right inside?"

"So you're saying that you don't know about the hit on the royal family?" asked Geno.

"Oh, do you not know anything?" asked the underboss. "There was a bid out there, sure, but we don't take bids. Especially not since Delfino Isle was evacuated. The job was for Princess Peach only, not Queen Merelda, not King Shake, not Prince Pine and not Lady Timpani. No one else. Tempting money too, but we turn that stuff down."

"Who was the bidder?" asked Geno.

"I'm just management," said the underboss.

"But you don't know anything else?" asked Geno, not believing it.

"Woah, no, I never said that," remarked the underboss upon seeing energy flicker in Geno's fingertips. "I said we turned the job down. From what I hear, the D-Men decided to take on the hit for themselves. They've been causing trouble for a while now, hanging out in Wario's old hideouts. You can bet that any of them left alive are going to bite the dust sooner or later. Hits like that are left to the X-Nauts, guess the D-Men screwed the pooch though."

"What do you know about the X-Nauts?" asked Geno.

"I know not to ask," said the underboss. "You start looking for Sir Grodus and Sir Grodus looks back. We're just the Pianta Syndicate, we know our place. But hey, I wanted to thank you. If you hadn't helped neutralize the D-Men that day, like we should've, and they killed Peach? Well, the X-Nauts would be raining down on us. You have our word, though, we'll keep a watch on Toadstool Castle." With that, the Don Pianta stood up, bowed slightly to Geno and left the room. The underboss began to follow, but stopped at the door and turned around. "I'm Frankie, by the way," said the underboss. "You need anything while you're in Toad Town, just come to me. Just out of curiosity, though, why do you think we'd be connected to the X-Nauts?"

"Because ever since the Arctic Abyss was destroyed they've been trying to rebuild," said Geno. "What better way to rebuild than work with the Pianta Syndicate. You guys had your fingers in all of Bowser's operations."

"All of them?" laughed Frankie. "No, Don Pianta believed in Bowser, sure. But none of us ever set foot on Delfino Isle, he believed, sure, but not enough to take action on it. What, you did it differently on the Star Road?"

"I don't know, been too long," answered Geno.

"That's unbelievable," muttered Frankie. "Anyway, it's all politics. We've had dealings with Toadsworth, I've met him a few times myself. We would work with him, so dealing with the X-Nauts is a no. We know what jobs to take and what jobs not to take. Toadsworth might no more, if he's got his fingers in our game, he's probably got it in their game too. Ask him." Frankie walked out, moving past the bodyguards and Vivian quickly. She smiled and Geno smiled. Then Geno slammed the door in her face.


	16. Chapter 16

Joining the local policemen, Captain Toad scoped out the scene of the battle between the officers of the law and the X-Nauts. If Geno was unwilling to help him find Lady Timpani, he would have to do it himself. He knew his best bet would be this battle scene, since Geno and Timpani had left during the D-Men attack. Whatever Sir Grodus was up to, it could not be good. An analyst treaded towards Captain, holding some wires. Were the X-Nauts thinking of bombing the city? An elderly man, Toadsworth, the steward of the ruling council, approached the scene. How this bumbling fool, despite having had given his position by Rool, had been able to keep his position was beyond Captain Toad. He hardly wanted this man interfering in the investigation.

"My God, steward, you shouldn't have to see this," said Captain Toad, hoping to lead Toadsworth away. "The X-Nauts, they mean business. Could be tons of explosives here waiting to go off, you should leave."

"I have business with the X-Nauts myself," huffed Captain Toad. "The bodies of my nephew, Dane Toad, and his consort, Chanterelle, were found branded with the symbol of the X-Nauts." Toadsworth walked ahead of Captain Toad, leaving the officer to quickly try and catch up. Dane Toad - that was an ally of the legendary Luigi. He was dead? "These X-Naut crimes have no reason, they're random acts of violence!"

"I believe that they are coordinated, but something has got them riled," deduced Captain Toad. The X-Nauts were clearly headed for the funeral auditorium, but given that the police were already headed there to handle the D-Men they got intercepted. Somebody was behind this, maybe the X-Nauts were just pawns in this game. With that, Toadsworth nodded and walked away. With everything that had happened in his life, he hoped that returning to Toad Town would give his life some peace.

* * *

A lamppost aflame in his view, Bowser Jr wiped away a tear, sucked up his composure and held up a checkbook. The collection of D-Men began to orbit around him as he began scribbling out checks and handing them out. This should keep them occupied, he knew. Of course it would probably bum them that they would be unable to cash any of them in, but they would find a loophole - they always did. The excitement among the D-Men led to cheers and an impromptu pep rally was on Bowser Jr's hands. Turning, he began to notice other gangs from the back. Piantas. The Pianta Syndicate! The old guard criminals of Toad Town. Perhaps they were here to observe?

"Everyone!" greeted Bowser Jr. "I see some new faces around here! Gather around! I am hungry and I feel like I've been denied a snack of mine! I guess it means I've got to eat a big dinner, now does it not? My good D-Men... this is a chance to make something meaningful with our lives and with their deaths!" He motioned out of the window. The D-Men would not have to spend much longer missing Minus World, Jr would transform the Toadstool Kingdom into Minus World for him! Of course he was angry they were not able to whack Princess Peach - whoever put that bounty up there really gave a good price. Nevertheless, the city would be his.

As evening fell, the D-Men scrambled down to the street below. Some of their sinister members rambled in and out of Jr's view, no doubt getting ready to cause havoc. Finally, the more dangerous D-Men trotted down the street openly, unsettling in their appearance. Unknown to Jr, across the road, a chilly Queen Merelda was watching the grisly sight, shaking her head in disappointment. What she was doing, though, was watching the personal apartment of Vivian. Since the chauffeur's impromptu return, things had gotten tense and she decided to personally find out how the girl had survived.

Watching through her binoculars, Merelda got slightly excited when the door creaked open and in entered a tired looking Vivian. What was this? What was up with this woman? The very makeup on her face seemed to be melting away. Her skin was getting... violet? Oh no. The startling revelation suddenly began to sink in to Merelda's head - Vivian was a siren. By trying to kill her, Shake had only just awakened her latent abilities. This was not good. Sirens lived on the edges of the Mushroom Kingdom and were generally not bothered. It was known that Vivian was an orphan... but a siren was unfathomable. Merelda mustered up courage and began to make her way for Vivian's apartment. No guards, they would freak.

"I'm the queen, I shouldn't be doing this," she muttered, yet she was for some reason. She never wanted to marry Shake, but she had to. For the honour of the Toadstool Family. Thank God they had no children yet. She hated her father for making her marry such a vile person, and she hated Shake for warping her once good nature with him. She had done terrible things with him, was accomplice to so many crimes. The worst part? She hardly felt bad about any of them anymore.

Merelda knocked on Vivian's door, there was no answer? What? Pushing it open, Merelda slunk in to the dark room where the only light came from some deftly illuminated candles. Merelda could make out the sight of the violet Vivian emblazoned on her couch, wearing only a red and white hat while her form shifted between corporal and non-existent at the legs. "Vivian," said Merelda, sternly.

"Why hello your majesty," greeted the siren. "I'm afraid I cannot hide myself from you any longer." Vivian sprung forth, floating towards Merelda as her two legs merged into a spooky misty tail.

"Vivian, this is not appropriate," warned Merelda.

"Oh your majesty, I was trying to help you," purred Vivian. "I went out and found him today! The star-man, Geno! He didn't want my help, tried to lock me away from him..." Vivian's tail began to wrap around Queen Merelda's legs. "You've probably figured out that I'm going to do to you, what you did to me. I can totally relate." Vivian's mist had nearly enveloped the Queen by now. "Oh Merelda, I wonder what poor King Shake will do without you. Long live the Queen." This was a mistake, thought Merelda, her last thought before she was fully enveloped and shunted to wherever the mist sent her.

* * *

Entering the museum, Jr laughed playfully as he sauntered through the corridor. Accompanied by a clipboard carrying D-Man and two others carrying sledgehammers, Jr began to whistle a merry tune as smashed exhibits together. Trotting out of the museum, Jr noticed a bunch of lights blazing on and off incongruently - a party! This would be fun. Jr looked around as Toad Town began to be set ablaze! This was going to be a night to remember!


	17. Chapter 17

A far cry from what Toadstool Kingdom looked like to the public of Toad Town, inside, the fortress was scrambling with guards and guns, iron gates, even a moat. Queen Merelda did not return and with the D-Men out causing chaos on the streets, Shake had informed his esteemed guests that he believed the monsters of the Minus World had got his beloved wife and would be coming for him next. Of course he did not actually believe that and regardless of whether or not she was dead, it mattered to Shake not. Hell, with her death, Timpani being missing and Pine injured - Shake grinned with villainy, perhaps he could finally end the blasted ruling council!

On the other side of town, though, was Toadsworth's own personal residence. There were relatively few guards and even fewer guns. There were women, but ever since the body of Dane Toad had been found, that was all the steward could find himself indulging in. First the Mushroom King died, then the ruling council made him obsolete and then, his nephew, the boy he had raised, had died too. All because of the X-Nauts, he knew it, he knew it! Yet he could do nothing against them either.

Falling asleep, Toadsworth, the steward who had caused so much trouble during his life, looked pompous even while dreaming. That was until a beam of light quietly eviscerated his pillow, the heat instantly waking him up. Toadsworth's eyes sprung open right away, along with his mouth. Geno stood over him and when Toadsworth inhaled to scream, Geno gently began to crackle energy between his fists. "Wouldn't want to wake the lady friend," said Geno, motioning to the woman asleep on the floor. "Drowning yourself in women, are we steward?" Toadsworth's eyes darkened, startled - but not scared. This steward had faced off against King K. Rool - what was a star to him? "The truth is a funny thing steward, it always comes out one way or another. Always. I know you and the X-Nauts are connected. When it comes to light, imagine the disgrace you'll bring on the legacy of your beloved Mushroom King. Now, as I need something from the dear old deceased - I can't have that. So tomorrow, you're going to make a formal announcement revealing that the X-Nauts murdered your nephew. Confirm the rumors that I believe you no doubt were the one spreading. That, or I come back here and you can join your nephew." Toadsworth looked angrily at Geno. "You need counselling."

"Me, disgrace the royal family?" glowered Toadsworth. "I am the only thing between King Shake and disgrace! He is a fool! How much goodwill do you think he will have left if the truth about his and Merelda's exploitation, history with Wario and various murders comes out? It's the first rule of the Toadstool Kingdom - behind every fortune is a crime!" Geno considered this, knowing it had to be true. "You're wrong about the truth. It doesn't have to come out."

Suddenly, Geno sprung out of the way without looking. An arrow bolt pumped into the headboard directly above Toadsworth and a drop of poison dripped down and landed on the steward's head. The steward screamed in agony as Geno rolled up and came to his feet. A second bolt caught Geno in the shoulder, steaming poison dripped from the hollow point, burning him slightly. But he could take it. Geno quickly ripped the bolt out and threw it on the ground. Focusing his eyes, Geno closed in on a semiautomatic crossbow swiftly prepping another shot.

A pair of violet, slender hands shouldered the crossbow to reveal the sight of Beldam the Shadow Siren. Geno's eyes widened at the sight. He had heard of her, she was one of the lead sirens in the Boggly Woods. While considered residents of the Toadstool Kingdom, beside a small transport of organic foods, sirens never communicated with Toads. Why could she be out here? Likely to collect on the hit on Princess Peach, assumed Geno. Of course there could always be another reason. Studying Beldam for a second, Geno noticed that she was all corporeal for the moment and her legs were separate. She had likely mastered the art of turning into mist, likely how she snuck up behind him.

Her crossbow spit out two bolts and Geno easily dodged them both and launched a burst of energy from his hands to burn the crossbow to ashes. Trying to close the gap between Beldam and himself, Geno could not seem to catch her as she slipped beneath the floor and emerged out behind him. Turning around, Geno looked to see that she had her pistol drawn but his agility meant she could not steady it to gain a clear shot. A beam raking her forearm, Beldam dropped the gun and swiftly pulled out a knife. Deftly avoiding her strikes, Geno caught Beldam by the wrist and slammed his body into hers, pinning her against the wall. If she even tried to turn into that shadow stuff, he would eviscerate her with his energy beams. Nose to nose with Beldam, Geno noticed her slight smile. What would she have to smile about? Looking down at her knife hand, he noticed... there was some yellow oil on it. Suddenly, his vision blurred and he instinctively looked at the crossbow wound.

Staggering back, Geno looked at his arm, the cut there was glowing golden. He turned to Beldam who approached him and gave him a kiss that was passionate, but animalistic. Then she heaved him hard and kicked him across the room, Geno staggered and then wiped out by an end table. Straddling Geno, Beldam held her knife to his throat but he suddenly roared and pushed her up, launching the siren into a mirror. Knowing that there was no winning this fight, Geno launched himself out the window, landing by the gutter with a sickening smack.


	18. Chapter 18

Trembling, pale and weak, Geno looked at his arm, it was purple and beginning to welt. One by one, flashlights turned his way, guards barking orders and gunshots hitting the floor near him. This would turn ugly if he didn't leave soon. No other choice, Geno plunged into a nearby line of trees and fell down a ridge, emerging overtop a high garden wall overlooking a driveway. Lying there for a while, Geno could not help but spy on the vehicles entering and leaving Toadsworth's compound. There was fire over the ridge and he noticed some D-Men come by with burning boxes and such. This was going to be a long night.

After getting up, Geno navigated some treacherous roads while trying to stay conscious. Going on backroads meant less of a chance of running into any D-Men, that would not work out well for him - especially in his current state. The road ahead of him continued to alter with his hallucinations getting worse, sometimes widening and sometimes turning serpentine. Then Geno, wobbled, he heard some bullets behind him. He was being shot at? Jumping off the side of the mountain road, Geno found himself going down a deep slope, banging against trees and then landing hard on the same road, just lower down the mountain.

As more bullets came his way, Geno jumped off again and let gravity carry him off the mountain and towards the burning Toad Town.

* * *

The small party going on was oblivious to the third and by far, most vicious attack by the D-Men. Their music was loud, but sophisticated and the people, miniscule but snobbish. Some were proposing toasts, some were trying on perfumes and some were trying to act smarter than they were. Suddenly, all the perfume bottles on a table began to shake, catching the partygoers attention. One by one, the bottles of fragrance that were outermost fell to the ground and shattered. The Toads' smiles vanished as in entered about five different D-Men, each armed with bats and mallets.

As Jr watched down from the street below, he laughed in excitement as the D-Men proceeded to whack each and every one of the rich partygoers. The rich just got richer, until they got whacked. A line of garishly dressed D-Men, having had looted a bunch of stores, drove past Jr in a buggy of some sort, laughing into the night wind. This was definitely a night to close the doors and pretend nothing was wrong. "Oh, ruling council - here I come," whispered Jr. If he could convince the people that he could stop all this violence, well then the spot was his! Of course he could stop it, he started it! Oh how Queen Jaydes would be proud of him!

Marching back into the museum, Jr walked through a corridor and stopped at a wall where a row of lights were embedded. Snapping his fingers, Jr was pleased when a D-Man handed him some C4. Attaching it to the wall, they walked back a second and then one second later, walked through the now exploded wall. Taking off the glove on his left hand, Jr looked as two guards aimed their weapons at him. Quickly launching fireballs and scorching their hands, Jr laughed as they felt to the ground in crippling pain. Swinging before the quivering guards with his entourage, Jr looked down and said, "Greetings! I'd say you can tell your wives, but I'm going to kill you." These guys could tell him where something interesting was. "We've come for the Star Rod, poor old Mushroom King thought nobody would want it if they thought nobody could use it, right?"

"Nobody can use it," gritted one guard. "It's worthless." The guard pointed to a small scepter on a podium with a star head.

"Oh, well, what the hell," grinned Jr. The D-Men rumbled over to the delicately lit Star Rod in the museum room and pulled it off of its perch. A much more serious alarm, which rhythmically warbled on and off became to blare as soon as they took the Star Rod off. Looking out the window, Jr laughed as he saw terror all across Toad Town. With D-Men making off with goods in their pockets, warped activity ruining everything. Little did he know, on the other side of town at Toadstool Castle, King Shake too was proud of the systematic chaos that was being perpetrated. Of course, by now Shake was slightly worried that maybe the D-Men had offed Merelda - but he would be able to spin that to his advantage, he believed. Or was that false hope? This situation was becoming tenuous.

Jr switched on a guard's radio, hoping to hear reports of the terror that he had caused. "I've got to repeat this. Stay home, everybody. I am warning you. Toad Town is under attack by an army of D-Men and some rogue splinters of the Pianta Syndicate have joined in as well. No sight of the Secret Society of X-Nauts yet. If you're thinking of coming in to Toad Town - don't. No confirmed reports on death tolls yet, but estimates state that there could be at least fifty. My sources inform me that Queen Merelda's guards reported her missing early this afternoon." In rage, Jr smashed the radio. Could one of his D-Men have killed Queen Merelda? Jr wouldn't put it past them, but it seemed, well... uncharacteristic.

Wicked laughter and violence could be heard out on the streets. Perhaps some of the police force was trying to mount a defense? No. Jr looked outside and saw some of the D-Men throw smoke bombs into various buildings. One hit a diner and the patrons thundered outside. At least the people were suffering, thought Jr.

Six glowering D-Men entered the diner where the chefs burst out of their kitchen. They chillingly strode forward, cracking their knuckles and all remaining patrons and the chefs began to back up. The patrons bailed as the swarm of D-Men pressed forward. "Well, boy's I'm afraid I don't have any more time to burn," said Jr. Turning to the two guards, the eleven year old boy launched damaging fireballs out at the two of them. The last thing they saw was Jr's sickly, scaly hand. With that done and the Star Rod in his possession, Jr put his glove back on.


	19. Chapter 19

Just as his victim stood still when the D-Man started thrashing on him, the resident of the Minus World stopped dead in his tracks when he came across a particularly unpleasant sight. He stopped beating on the chef and in fact dropped the Toad to the ground when he saw the man standing in front of him. Mario allowed the D-Man a second of white-faced realization before savagely pounding the creep into the ground.

The other D-Men reached into their pockets and pulled out surreally shaped knives, ready to tussle with the plumber from New York City. Mario simply snapped his fingers and conjured up a fireball. This would be fun. He may not have been as young as he was when he had his first adventure in the Koopahari, but Mario was still as powerful, if not more, than before. With a simultaneous howl, the D-Men charged the plumber from every direction. The fireball whizzed in every direction, bouncing from the head of D-Man to D-Man, burning their heads and knocking them out cold.

Hearing the squeals outside of the diner, Mario focused in on the street where he knew he would have to deploy beatings on the D-Men. To the everyday D-Man, Mario must not have looked like anything special. Just a mustachioed man, about fifty, wearing blue overalls and a red cap. Armed with nothing, Mario knew that his aged look actually gave him a distinct advantage against all of these monsters. So far, his life with Princess Peach had been everything he had hoped it would be. He was happy. He was finally happy and finally with the woman he loved. Yet, no matter how much he protected the Toadstool Kingdom, Mario could not help but feel that he did not belong.

Jumping out of the diner, Mario's attention was pulled to the alarm ringing out of the nearby museum. What could the D-Men possibly want from there? He was from New York City, the museums were the most boring place in the world. Well, maybe the Koopahari had different museums but he doubted it.

Bowser Jr proudly marched out of the museum to finally take in the glory of all the chaos that he had caused. Carrying the Star Rod, Jr shoved it into a sheath on his belt while walking forward onto the street. Suddenly, Mario landed from a high jump in front of him. Jr looked at the aged plumber with a brief stare of hatred, but washed it away and extended out his hand. "Bowser Jr, pleased to meet you," said Jr. Who was this guy, thought Jr, and what was he doing wearing overalls. The biggest question, though, why did he feel so much animosity between the two of them? Wait, wasn't this the guy who attacked the D-Men before, during the Gold Celebration?

"Pleasure's all yours," said Mario. "Bargain hunting?"

"Oh you mean the museum, and the alarm and the general chaos?" asked Jr. "I guess I might have done it."

"Greet speech on the radio, never got to thank you for that," mocked Mario. Jr scowled and faked a look of embarrassment at the plumber's smart aleck response. They stared at each other for a second. Mario knew, this was the son of his archenemy, and every bit as evil... but he was just a child. Jr looked at Mario and saw the evil man in his dreams, the man who had murdered his father and destroyed his kingdom twice, once before he was born and once after.

"Tough day in Brooklyn?" asked Jr. "Quit while you're alive. I'm not my father, I'm better. I'm Bowser Secondus."

"You're just another would-be tyrant of the Koopahari," said Mario. "I don't hate you, you're just a kid. You can walk away right now."

"So what, I'm not allowed to express my royal anger?" asked Jr. "Oh plumber, to the public, I'm just here as a concerned citizen. To you, I'm here as throwing a tantrum because you popped my dad. To me? Well, to me I'm just taking what should have been mine and then some."

"I'm sure you would've caused just as much destruction if your father was alive," said Mario. "But he's not. You can live a normal life, you don't have to be like him."

"Normal?" asked Jr, mocking Mario's tone. He threw off his glove and showed the plumber his scaly, deformed hand. "I can never be normal thanks to you! My brothers are dead because of you! You killed my father! You destroyed my kingdom! You changed the future! You look at me like I'm the son of a villain, but I look at you as the man who killed my family. Then you show up and tell me I shouldn't be angry? I have every right to be angry! Angry at you! I may be a villain, but the only one I want to hurt is you." Reaching down, Jr picked up his glove and put it back on his hand.

"Is that everything you had to say to me?" asked Mario.

"There's one other thing," said Jr. "Shaydes."

Suddenly, the world around Mario began to... whine. A high pitched shrill sound that emanated all around them - confused, Mario began to look around. What was happening? Turning, he looked at the smiling Bowser Jr dead in the eye. At that moment, two piercing sirens began to cry out in the distance. All of the D-Men around the two began to go insane, getting down on their feet and praying, dropping to their knees and placing their head to the concrete. The ground beneath Bowser Jr began to rise in shadows, lifting him to safety far beyond the reach of Mario.

Mario began to prepare a strategy to find a way to reach Bowser Jr when suddenly, he felt something yanking on his leg. Turning around, Mario was horrified to find himself face to face with a giant snake like creature with a relatively humanoid face. Covered with the same shadowstuff that Bowser Jr escaped on, this thing... this thing must have been what the D-Men summoned. A Shayde. Mario punched the Shayde down and away from him, but he quickly realized that the attack did not have much power in it. Clearly he had either gotten weaker with age, or was now fighting something stronger than usual.

The Shayde quickly recoiled and prepared to fight back, Mario looked at it and Jr's trail in the sky. He didn't have time for this.


	20. Chapter 20

Vivian floated up, using her power of apparition to shunt herself through the floortops of Toad Town buildings until she was floating up in the open night air. She smirked a little, so the D-Men were causing chaos again. They were always causing chaos. What was this? Attack three? She chuckled a little bit. Where was Geno she wondered. Still trying to find the X-Nauts? Maybe she would find him again. But no, she stopped for a while to consider everything instead.

She had just killed Queen Merelda, that would definitely cause trouble. A lot of trouble. Who would be the reigning monarch then? In spite of all of his power, Shake was only king of the Toads by marriage. With Merelda dead and the fact that they had no heir meant that he had no real claim to the throne anymore. So it could be Peach, right? Except, she had been disqualified from succession long ago because of the time she spent in the other dimension. Yet, she was much more loved than Shake but also much more mysterious. Hell, maybe a royal cousin could come in. Maybe a foreign invasion! Maybe the ruling council's dissolution! The possibilities were endless!

But she was also a siren! A siren! She still had trouble wrapping that around her head. Sure, having to mask her violet skin when she went in public was a pain - but she was a siren! She knew her mother was a siren, and Vivian had grown up with her in Dark Land. Then she was abandoned though. She had always thought why? She figured that maybe she wasn't a siren, maybe her father's blood had diluted her genetics and maybe she wasn't a siren. But it made sense now. Her abandonment. Her survival. Her revenge on Shake! It was the siren way.

She looked down to the street below her, and a scene in ally caused her quite a bit of discomfort. A particularly nasty looking D-Man was chasing a young girl. He was probably up to more than just that, figured Vivian. So she descended back down and found herself immaterial below ground. Conjuring and manifesting herself up behind the D-Man she wrapped her arms around the being's neck and sunk him down into the ground. Producing herself out to the surface, with the D-Man dead, Vivian presented herself, in all her siren glory, to the girl. Yet, instead of congratulations, it seemed the girl was more scared of her than the D-Man. How as that? The girl started stammering, that was annoying. "Shut up!" snapped Vivian. "Girls like you, making the world worse with your pathetic visage. Always making it so some star needs to come and save you! Just shut up!"

* * *

Mario slammed on the Shayde, hitting it repeatedly in the face. Every time it got back up, Mario noted it did so less than before. He had it on its last throes now, kicking the Shayde a bit of a distance, Mario prepared to end the fight. The Shayde stumbled and staggered to get up, but it did and when it did, Mario jumped and slammed his feet down on the Shayde's head. Just like he had hoped, the curbstomp was enough to keep the Shayde down for good.

Mario took a moment, he had to catch his breath. He wasn't as young as he was before. "Mario, my boy!" said the old man just out of Mario's periphery. Mario sighed, he had absolutely no time to deal with this right now. It was Toadsworth. "I'm completely worried about you! All of this can't be good for you but you need to know of the intruder in my residence!"

"It was Bowser Jr, all of it," said Mario. He knew the steward was a fool, but he could trust him, right?

"Shake's ward?" considered Toadsworth. "Where is he? Is he allied with the X-Nauts?"

"The X-Nauts?" asked Mario in disbelief. "No. Stop, this isn't the time."

Mario shook his head and began to walk off into the direction he saw Jr going in. Turning his walk into a run, Mario quickly advanced that itself into a leap. A leap into a jump. He was going at a perfect pace now, straight down the street. If he would see a D-Man in his way he would jump and smash then down, or if the D-Man was trying to intercept the jump, he would burn them with a fireball. Two D-Men grabbed some hammers and tried to stop Mario, but they just fell victim to the fireballs.

Mario looked ahead and rapidly slowed his pace, stopping before strange violet smoke. The smoke was coming toward him, and then it wasn't smoke. It was a woman, with pale milky eyes. "Plumber," she purred. The street behind her burst aflame as she dropped a match onto the ground. Then she did a flip, her legs merging together in a smoky tail into the fire as the flashburn cleared. Mario scanned the scene and watched as she floated into the air and started to wisp away to the rooftops. No, she wasn't getting away. Running, he jumped up and between the walls of an alleyway to get up to the roof. Yet just as he got up, he was slammed into by the woman and knocked off the ledge.

"I'm a siren," she introduced herself. "I can no longer be taken for granted. You are no longer the great protector of this world, Mario. If you were, would Toad Town really have burst ablaze months from your arrival? You're a curse, something bad happens every time you come. Are you even paying attention?"

"Hanging on every word," deadpanned Mario.

"Good," she chuckled. "Tell me about her, Princess Peach? She isn't even of us? And did you hear what the word on the street is about her? I wonder what would happen if the X-Nauts collected? What if the D-Men collected? What if someone killed Merelda instead? Someone did kill Merelda, but not instead." Mario looked at her sternly. Was... Merelda dead?

"People hurt each other, someone hurt Merelda, let me up so I can find that person," said Mario. He had to play the game safe right here. The siren looked at him curiously but then fell back as the fireball hit her arm. Mario pulled himself up and was towering over her in an instant. The siren jumped up at him and Mario punched at her, yet, he didn't connect. It took him a moment to realize that she had phased through him. Turning around, he looked at her falling back through the street. She waved bye to him and passed through the street.

What a night.


	21. Chapter 21

There were no sounds. Just a bright flash, maybe some sparks with it. He felt entombed, as if in a casket made of liquid. It felt hot, though, not like water, it felt molten. Geno's dreams felt real almost, but he knew that they were feverish that he was in a world of delirium. For a second, though, he felt as if he could be back on the Star Road. Even if it were just for a second. He needed to get up. Geno forced his eyes open and got up, it was morning now and he was behind some shrubbery somewhere. His clothes were tattered and he felt like he had gotten hit by a truck. Getting up, Geno walked aimlessly for the road and when he finally made it, he had to jump back or else he actually would have gotten hit by a truck.

Staring at the truck, Geno noticed the emblem on the side of it. It was the X-Naut emblem! Had they gotten so bold that they were showing themselves in broad daylight now. Make a note of where the truck was heading, Geno followed. He couldn't run at first, his wounds weren't healing too good. Whatever Beldam did to him, it felt more permanent than it should have. Eventually, though, he started to feel relatively okay. Okay enough to start running. After that, he felt okay enough to use his beams to propel him towards the truck's location.

Geno's eyes widened as he saw where they were headed, a secret port. There were dozens of X-Nauts just wandering around aimlessly in the port, almost as if they were assembling for a war or something. There had to be hundreds of shipping containers with the truck only adding more to the rows and rows that the X-Nauts had begun stockpiling. Cranes continued to load off the containers. What was going on in Toad Town? From what he could tell from his jumps, the town seemed to have quieted down after whatever caused it to be set ablaze last night. If this was any indication, though, the X-Nauts would probably try and blow it up again.

Sneaking in to the port, Geno breathed slow and steady as he walked past the containers, knocking on each of them. Most of them felt hollow, but were probably only filled up until a certain point. They were all of a green colour marked with a blue stripe, then there was that one pink one, with no stripe. It was just there, in the middle. Good thing no X-Nauts were patrolling this area right now, Geno would've hated to have to get into a fight here. Using his beams, Geno opened the pink container and his eyes widened as the power of a shattered Star Piece surged into him. He felt stronger, better as they went inside of him. He felt more whole. He looked at his hands at that moment, they felt radiant and were glowing slightly. The glow of a star. What did that damned Mushroom King know of this?

Geno grabbed the Star Piece out of the container, well the pieces of the Star Piece and felt it reassemble in his hands. He felt the power that was just within him flow back into the Star Piece, he felt it become whole once more. Geno remembered the transcript that Captain Toad had handed him, the Seven Star Project. What was the Seven Star Project? What did it have to do with the X-Nauts, what did it have to do with the Star Road and what did it have to do with him? Okay, so say there seven Star Pieces, he just reassembled one. Why didn't the X-Nauts guard this container more heavily? Was it because the Star Piece was broken? Well, was broken. He looked properly at his hands and saw the Light Blue Star Piece. He remembered this, he couldn't remember why or how, but Geno remembered the Light Blue Star Piece.

Geno felt disgust for the X-Nauts at that moment, those rat bastards knew what the Seven Star Project was. He had to find Sir Grodus and this time, he had to fight him properly. First, he had to find out what the Seven Star Projecgt was and the only person who could tell him this was King Shake.

* * *

"Yes, yes, I am looking at it right now," said King Shake in the phone. "You understand that my family has dozens of holdings throughout the city and even more if you include the country. Compound that with the fact that my wife hardly travels with bodyguards, she could be anywhere. I doubt she is dead and I really doubt street rumors that D-Men or a flying siren killed her are true." The door to his office opened and Shake hastily hung up the phone, turning around to see Geno standing there with Captain Toad right behind him.

"Right now the police are impounding shipping containers belonging to the X-Nauts," said Geno. "On a secret port that you built." That information had been given to Geno by Captain Toad, as soon as he himself had relayed the location of the port.

"On a secret port that I built for my wife, so we could get away whenever... in secrecy," said Shake. "I own the port, not whatever is on the port."

"Geno, do you know what you are alleging?" asked Captain Toad.

"There's a hit on Princess Peach, Lady Timpani is missing, Prince Pine is injured and I'm campaigning with Bowser Jr to get on him on the Ruling Council," said King Shake. "It's a perfectly understandable allegation, especially when X-Naut supplies are found on my port. But Geno, Captain Toad - both of you would do well to keep your mouths shut. Hell, Captain, as far as I'm responsible, you're responsible for this... this Star even being here." As Shake neared the two he froze and looked past Geno and Captain Toad, turning around, Geno inhaled and smiled.

"Hello Lady Timpani," greeted Geno.

"How long have you been standing there?" asked King Shake.

"Long enough I'd guess," said Geno.

"Is any of that true?" asked Lady Timpani. "I know of your plans for the evil boy, but the other parts? Are they true?"

"Absolutely not," said King Shake. "This Geno has twisted lies, circumstantial evidence that are all designed to fit his misguided conclusion. All because of some cryptic project on the Star Road run by the Mushroom King." Shake opened his desk and threw out a stack of papers. "It is all in here, in the old man's will. Give it to him, Captain Toad."

"The Mushroom King's instructions were explicit," said Captain Toad before he was interrupted.

"Explicit my ass!" roared King Shake. "Those instructions were as far from explicit as possible. Given that he also spread them to every officer of and above your station, they were implicit and widespread! Honour his gift? This man isn't a man and has no honour! He has impugned my family's name! You have publicly implicated me in being involved with the X-Nauts! Hell, I know that yesterday, you assaulted Toadsworth, my steward!" Captain Toad and Lady Timpani looked at Geno in shock, to them, Toadsworth was still the last of the old guard. The trusted steward of the Mushroom King who had helped the legendary Luigi defeat King K Rool.

"Not the way he tells it," said Geno, but right away he knew it was the wrong answer. Captain Toad bowed his head in shame and Lady Timpani raised her hand to her mouth in shock. "Timpani, he will replace you and destroy what you built." He had gotten to know Timpani in their brief moments together. She wasn't how Captain Toad described her. She wasn't a woman hungry for power, she was an opportunist, yes. Of course it was insensitive to push for a Ruling Council after the death of the Mushroom King, but why she did it was important. That was why the people loved her, that was why King Shake hated her.

"For the sake of the Mushroom King, Geno, hold your tongue!" reprimanded Captain Toad.

"He's corrupted the legacy of the Mushroom King!" retaliated Geno. "He's corrupted it for profit and he's selling you, Timpani, so that he can replace you with someone he thinks he can control."

"How dare you!" yelled Shake.

"Okay, say I'm wrong," said Geno. "Why would you push the child of the man who ruled over Dinohattan with an iron fist? Who destroyed the Nautical with his Delfino Isle? Why would you push that child?"

"I... I have a duty to my people," said Shake.

"That's not what I asked," pointed out Geno. "I asked why you push him."

"I am the king," said Shake. "This is irrelevant." Geno never took his eyes off of Timpani, there were tears in her eyes. She saw as Shake struggled to answer him, then her eyes widened as Geno went sprawling to the floor. He staggered to get up from the blow to his neck, a blow that would have killed any other man. A bruise began to swell and then fade on his neck. "Defend yourself," said Shake, ordering his opponent to get back up.

"Afraid to have attacked me one on one?" asked Geno. Shake didn't answer and instead, held his arms out in a prepared fighting stance. Clearly Shake held some kind of fighting skill, but was it good enough to fight somebody, to fight a Star, like Geno? Shake himself was too consumed by anger at that moment to consider whether or not he actually could take on Geno, having had forgotten about his humbling experience during the Gold Celebration at the hands of Bowser Jr. "He is not a Toad, he is not one of us! You have not seen the true nature of this... this Star. Your association wit him proves you deserve to be removed from the Ruling Council, that your stupid council deserves to be removed all together!" Before Bowser Jr, Shake would never have said this to Timpani, she held too much people power. With his wife maybe dead, though, and with Bowser Jr holding some people power for him, he didn't feel as if he had to hold back this time. Rage consumed Geno's eyes and they became blue, his skin changed from brown to something yellow and beastly. He had a radiant glow as his hair faded away into nothing and like that, Geno approached King Shake and grabbed him by the throat. "I give you... the beast," choked Shake, his cool demeanor presenting a demonic gloat to Lady Timpani. Even she saw it now, though. There was horror in Timpani's eyes at what Geno had transformed into, what he had held back. The true monstrosity of the Star. Maybe long ago, her ancestors called Geno's kind beautiful. But this was a world that had been ravaged by the Secret Society of the X-Nauts and to her, right now Geno looked like a D-Man. Slowly, however, Geno calmed himself down and let Shake drop to the floor. He began to melt back into something more manlike, his skin became brown again, he stopped glowing and his black hair was restored as his radiance died. "Out of respect for the Mushroom King, I will allow you to leave Toad Town tonight."

Geno turned to Timpani. "I can help beat Bowser Jr, just give me the chance."

"We don't need your help," said Timpani. "Take his offer, I can fight my own battle."

Geno felt crushed, but he walked out calmly. He had never done that before, he had never transformed. He pulled the Light Blue Star Piece out of his pocket. Had it enabled him to do such a thing? He didn't feel any different in power. Maybe it had always been in him.


	22. Chapter 22

The carriage was drawn, carrying Lady Timpani away from King Shake's residence. Geno watched with hatred as he saw the man accompanying Timpani - the steward Toadsworth. What was it he had said? That behind every fortune was a crime? His crime was well known, he had only become steward because his deal with King K Rool had allowed him the position. So what was Shake's crime? How did it connect to the Secret Society of X-Nauts? Geno stood quietly in the grove of cherry trees and watched as Timpani left. How soon before she tendered her resignation? Public favour had long gone in the way of Bowser Jr, Geno had noted. So either Shake pressured the other council members, Princess Peach and Prince Pine, into forcing Timpani out, or for the sake of avoiding public unrest, she resigned of her own accord. Geno noted how Timpani sat in the carriage, stone faced and silent. Toadsworth gave her a look of assurance, but somehow, it was as if she knew that nothing would be okay.

* * *

Later that day, patrons in one of Toad Town's many bars all stared in awe at the prowess of Geno's drinking abilities. He sat alone at the bar with a single shot glass, three nearly empty bottles of whiskey and was completely hammered out of his mind. Unable to see, Geno took money out of his pocket and was handed a fourth bottle, which he guzzled down without even touching the shot glass. "Drinking to forget?" asked a catlike voice beside him.

He turned to see Vivian there, but she looked different. All of the patrons in the bar seemed to back away from her, or was it from him? He was too drunk to tell. She looked all purple and like a ghost. Was she floating? Her legs were conjoined into one. She looked like that Shadow Siren... Beldam. The one who kicked his ass that one time? Was he mixing her together with Vivian? "I don't remember what I forgot to drink to forget," slurred Geno.

"You want me to leave you alone?" she asked. "Cause I don't want to leave you again."

"Eventually," answered Geno. He wasn't sure if she was even real, but he kept an eye on her sly smile. His night continued as he downed the bottle of whiskey and then got one more, which he decided to drink on the road. He began to sing some song, some song from his childhood as Vivian held him up by the shoulder and carried him off. She wasn't floating anymore, she had two legs now but she still looked purple. People still gave her weird glances, but she was still there. Maybe she would look normal once his alcohol wore off? "The smell of gasoline on you is nice." In response to that, though, Vivian only kissed him and led him to a safe spot where she knew they could be alone.

* * *

Geno's eyes opened suddenly and he spotted the purple person beside him and tried roll over. She wrapped her legs around him and pinned him back, beginning to kiss him hard. Geno took a look, the purple lady was indeed Vivian. She looked way different, but he recognized her... somehow. Maybe a Star ability of his? Was she a Shadow Siren too? She hadn't looked like one the first time he saw her, then the next time, she was all dolled up. This time, she was all violet. "Get off," groaned Geno, although he found himself kissing her back. She gave no indication of stopping, though, and the more he tried to get her off, the more she began to kiss back. Finally, Geno grabbed her by the throat and pushed her back but she gave him a wild look. If he was game, she was game. She kissed him back again, and he pushed her away, finally standing up, but he found himself wobbly. Getting up, Geno put on his clothes. He needed to break this off. "Look, you're a nice girl, but this won't work out," he said but when he turned around, she wasn't there.

Suddenly, an arrow pierced his arm. He stumbled down as another arrow caught his other arm. He tried to grab them, but found each arrow attached to some thin cord. He tried to blast his beams out, but couldn't. Suddenly he was stretching out in two places at once, with an excruciating pain. Then there were more arrows and more places he began to feel like he was being stretched out to. A dozen figures, estimated Geno, emerged from the darkness behind him, eliciting a chuckle from him. "X-Nauts? This is very clever." Each man drew a cutlass, prepared to fight him. "Okay, I'll tell you what, let me go and I'll let you live." They ignored his warning and kept coming. "Sorry guys, but drinking makes me mean, and I drank a lot."

Grabbing the arrows by their heads, Geno pulled them through his forearms. With those gone, he quickly used his beams to disable the effect of the other arrows and quickly attacked the stunned men of the X-Nauts. They had certainly seen a lot throughout their life, but never that. Without a sound, the X-Nauts prepared to attack their foe and tackled him through the window and down into a railroad yard. An X-Naut's cutlass cut the skin clean on Geno's skull, but not his skull itself, bewildering the terrorist. As they continued to cut into him, the rage in Geno grew and just like he had in front of King Shake, he transformed. In quick fashion, he incapacitated each and every one of the X-Nauts around him in successive fashion. "It was written, though... I warned you all." He turned to the others who had begun to gather and charged at them.

Just like their brethren, the X-Nauts just fell to the power of the Star in his transformed state. Geno felt weary and turned around to a wall, something was there. He turned and saw Vivian emerge from the wall, by literally passing through it. Did she? So she was a siren! She didn't look like one the first time he'd met her. Just like before, Geno melted back down into his normal form. "I thought I'd lost you," said Geno.

"I just saw them coming," said Vivian. "I wouldn't want them to hurt me. So now _we_ can hurt them." Geno turned to see more of the X-Nauts approach them, this time armed with guns in favour of the cutlasses. This time, Geno didn't transform but relied solely on his skills to disarm some, steal their guns and take them out. He looked over to Vivian and saw her using her skills as a siren to take many of them out. Eventually, this third round of X-Nauts fell to the ground as well.

"Who's next!" yelled Geno, it wasn't a question but a demand. More X-Nauts approached him, but backed off when they saw their brothers broken and battered. Dropping to their knees, they bowed their head in deference to Geno. He would live this day, he figured. Would he? He looked at his body? Maybe he should've transformed that second time. He didn't really know how to, but not doing it kind of screwed him over. He was broken, bruised, had been shot and was healing really slowly. With that, Geno fell backwards and landed hard against his head.

Yet there was a new man there. He was wearing the same X-Naut uniform as the rest of his enemies, but a white mask. There was something about this man. He studied Geno and watched as the X-Nauts nodded. Almost as if they were voting, the man then nodded, kneeled down and placed a white pearl on Geno's chest. Barely conscious, Geno grabbed the pearl, tried to stand, failed and screamed in pain. With that, the X-Nauts slowly disappeared, one by one, allowing Vivian to use her siren abilities to pick up Geno and head away. She dropped him, though, as she came face to face with a new arrival: Sir Grodus.

Geno tried to stay conscious, he had to fight Grodus, but as he watched Vivian get tossed to the floor, he faded.


	23. Chapter 23

The smell of something smeltering reached Geno's nose as he woke up, calmly and cautiously. The last memory he had before blacking out was that of Sir Grodus whacking Vivian down to the ground, scepter in hand to kill them both. Part of the apartment was indeed smelter and the other half was a shrine to Kamek, the God who Geno recognized to have been thought to have had died recently. The forge looked like the place where the blacksmith of hell would relax. Emerging from the steam in the room was a woman wearing nothing but a leather apron and some revealing clothes underneath. She carried a cup of tea and brought it to Geno.

"Drink," he instructed. Geno turned around and spotted Vivian sulking in the corner.

"This is Syrup, she's a friend," she said. Geno spotted the bruise of Vivian's chin.

"Sir Grodus give you that?" he asked.

"There was no way I could defeat him, but I tried," she said. So how did they get here? Geno stared at Syrup and recognized her, she was an attendant at the funeral of the Mushroom King. Geno took the tea and nodded. "Syrup's Black Sugar Gang rescued us. She has no love of King Shake either, you have no idea how much trouble she's been through since the funeral. How much trouble everyone's been in."

"Is this because your the Mushroom King's daughter?" asked Geno, looking directly at Syrup. He had recognized something about her the moment she had entered. He hadn't been able to place it until Vivian pointed out the troubles. There had been something about her, something that Geno had sensed in some of the other attendants at the funeral. In hindsight, he realized that the glow meant they were related to the Mushroom King, that his body had been pointing out the important people of power in the country. That his abilities as a Star, that he hardly understood, were actively trying to save his life.

"The Mushroom King is your father?" asked Vivian, surprised by the news. She had obviously known about this Syrup and her Black Sugar gang for a while. It was clear that Syrup wasn't her real name. Whoever, she was, though, she had to be powerful enough to stand directly against the X-Nauts, given that the Piantas couldn't do it.

"Not according to him, I wasn't," she answered. "He didn't neglect me. He gave me money, an education, the ability to fund myself as a 'priestess' of Kamek." The way she said Kamek meant that she clearly had no love for the God to whom she preached. "He never acknowledged me though, or acted like I existed."

"Where's your mother?" asked Vivian. Clearly Vivian had known this Syrup one way or another, so how did she take it when she found out Vivian was a siren? Strange the type of people one met in Toad Town.

"The shame of having a bitch like me was too much for her to bear," answered Syrup. Vivian seemed genuinely touched by this.

"Do Peach and Merelda know of their sister?" asked Geno, neglecting to mention that Merelda was probably dead - although he felt that Syrup already knew that. Geno noticed Vivian's stone cold expression when he mentioned Merelda, though. Did she know something about the queen's disappearance?

"No, but I watch over Peach," said Syrup. "I never liked Merelda."

"And you and your Black Sugar Gang just happened to be passing by the rail yard for a stroll?" asked Geno.

"You have been marked for death by the X-Nauts," said Syrup. "Kind hard not to put two and two together after Sir Grodus attacks you outside of the funeral. I knew if I followed you, I would be led to Sir Grodus."

"A royal terrorist groupie," said Geno. "Very kinky."

"I had hoped to find him to challenge him," said Syrup. "I wish to be the leader of the Secret Society of X-Nauts."

"Not a doctor?" joked Geno.

"Warlord, dictator, even God... these come and go," said Syrup. "But the X-Nauts have been here since Smithy and they survived Bowser. They are undying and the Koopahari's true destiny. They believe one man must rule and at his command, the X-Nauts steer the Koopahari through the ocean of time."

"Removing those who stand in their way," confirmed Vivian.

"So... they're fascists," said Geno.

"They soil and prune the tree without sympathy," said Syrup.

"Being as I'm marked for death and you seem knowledgeable," said Geno, "who's the guy in the white mask?"

"Doopliss."

"Who?"

"Who is Doopliss?" laughed Syrup. "He is a man who has survived horrible death twice by now. Both times at the hands of the gatekeeper-woman from Dinohattan. He has always been of the X-Nauts and was last known to have operated in Delfino Isle, infiltrating the operations of Count Bleck and Bowser. Sir Grodus has failed to kill you twice now, likely Doopliss will hold a contest that he expects you to enter. If you win, you get to face Sir Grodus. I too intend to enter, but you, you have been chosen."

"How do you know this?" asked Geno and Syrup held up the white pearl. So Geno had survived Sir Grodus twice now, but Doopliss gave the pearl to him before Sir Grodus attacked the second time. Did that mean that Grodus was willing to break his rules to get a cheap shot in on him? Geno took the pearl and asked one more question, "What happens now?"

"Kill or be killed," answered Syrup. "There's no choice in the matter."

"If I don't want to be master?" asked Geno.

"Why wouldn't you want to control the Koopahari?" asked Syrup.

"Cause I'm not from here," answered Geno.

"You hold immense power in your hand, Star," said Syrup. "Why would you need your world. The Star Piece that was on you, it can make you a God with the X-Nauts but where you come from? You'll be typical. That pearl is not to be taken lightly."

"Yeah, no. Clearly not," said Geno. "But where would this leave you and I?"

"I will wait for the match to be decided," said Syrup. "Be it Grodus or you, I will challenge the winner. No hard feelings."

"No hard feelings?" smirked Geno. She just told him that she would either end up fighting him, or fight over his dead body. It was kind of hard not to have any hard feelings. "All right, I'm going to go. If the siren is coming, then she comes. I guess I'll see you on the battlefield." Getting up Geno made for the exit and got out. He was in a part of Toad Town he didn't recognize but over the aching feeling all over his body, he didn't really feel like figuring it out. His wounds were healing again, but slowly. He wasn't invulnerable, he knew that. He healed, fast to some, but not instantly and there had been many moments, a lot recently, where he had felt close to death. Looking around, Geno realized that he was in one of Toad Town's industrial areas. As Vivian got out of Syrup's home, a large metal door closed behind her, alerting Geno to her presence. "I'll say this," he told her, "the Mushroom King left behind a messed up family."

"This matters to you, how?" asked Vivian.

"It matters to Timpani," said Geno. "If King Shake gets control over the ruling council, all the good that she's done for the city will be irrelevant."

"You have problems of your own right now," said the siren.

"That can wait," said Geno. "Right now, King Shake is my worst enemy."

"I'd love to take Shake on," said Vivian. "I've tried hitting him close and I can get closer, but I can't find anything on him to actually hurt him. Could you?"

"You killed Merelda, right?" asked Geno. She looked at him, shocked that he could know that, but she quickly figured that he'd have deduced it by now and nodded. "You thought that would hurt him. It didn't hurt her sister there. The hit on Princess Peach is where this all goes back to, though. There has to be a reason why there's a hit on her that's gotten the Piantas, this Black Sugar Gang, the D-Men and the X-Nauts all riled up. If I could just find out who gave that order..." Even as Geno said it, though, he realized the futility of it all. He had no leads on the D-Men, the X-Nauts would come to him and he was just lost. Except there was one faction he realized he wasn't considering. The police. Any officer of the rank captain or above had orders to bring him to the Mushroom King, so he could honour his gift - whatever that meant. Yet Captain Toad was the only officer who got close enough, the old police toad was his last lead. "You know what, I'll see you around."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To see a friend."

"I'll go with you."

"Not this again."

"I can help you."

"What do you want with Shake?" asked Geno. "My shadow? Come on. You probably figured I'm your best option at taking Shake on here and if I'm not, if I'm second best, well then I'm your only shot at royalty. Given how close we've gotten, I wouldn't be surprised if serving alongside the next master of the X-Nauts was a part of your plan." That elicited a wry grin from Vivian.

"Of course that crossed my mind," she said and then her smile turned cruel. "But you were right, you were my second best shot. I should've let them kill you." She turned and dissipated, and only then did Geno's eyes reveal his true feelings. He did feel for her, he did want to be with her... but Syrup had barely managed to save them both from Sir Grodus. He couldn't let Vivian die for him.


	24. Chapter 24

In the centre of town, a crowd had gathered, in the middle of which was Mario - wearing Toad attire so that he blended in. All there to watch a speech in front of a stage that had been hastily assembled by King Shake's men, the toads watched as Bowser Jr silently got up to the stage and bowed his head with quiet dignity. The rest of the crowd, including Mario, repeated this action. "I'm afraid we're going to need more than prayers to stop the disease that has infected the very soul of Toad Town. This disease that causes D-Men to invade and the Secret Society of X-Nauts to make their presence clear. I even saw a siren two nights ago! Two nights ago, though, I met Mario." The crowd was silent, they all knew about Mario and Bowser. So what could have happened between Mario and Bowser Jr? "This city needs a new moral authority. This city doesn't need a hero like Mario, it doesn't need a quavering spoiled man-child like Prince Pine! I may be a child but I'm more man than Mario!" The crowd cheered. "Face it, we need Prince Pine and Lady Timpani off the council! We need me on the council! Those two have been destroying King Shake's wondrous plans for too long now!" The crowd continued to cheer.

Then the began to chant out 'Junior!' repeatedly, over and over again like they would explode and turn into a militia ready to fight the D-Men threat all by themselves. Mario himself felt ready to explode. He felt like jumping onto the stage and kicking Bowser Jr into the next week. Jr devilishly grinned as the chants continued to grow in size, running his gloved hands through his hair.

Mario meandered out of the crowd - he couldn't take that pompous child anymore - and into the promenade of shops that had been ruined by the D-Men during their riot two nights ago. That was their third attack and the most destructive so far and Mario had no clue where they were coming from or how to stop them. Amid the wreckage, though, a few stores remained relatively untouched. Turning around, Mario watched as Jr disappeared into an office building as the ecstatic crowd dispersed, still changing the evil boy's name.

* * *

Ecstatic, Jr made his way up to the private bedroom that King Shake had allocated for him personally. This had been a great day, no, it had been a good day. Slamming his bedroom door shut, Jr didn't know how exactly to celebrate his political victory. While his father had taken control of Dinohattan through force, he would do it legally. He had already ensured that he would take Lady Timpani's spot, but he had seen this Prince Pine. The sniveling prince had no business helping rule the people. He had to go too. Princess Peach had a hit on her head, so she would be gone soon and then power would be split between he and King Shake. If the rumors were true, though, and Queen Merelda was dead then well, Shake had only nominal power then. Which meant he would be left the sole leader of Toad Town.

Jr was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the floating siren in his office at first. When he did, he was slightly taken aback, but he wasn't a regular child. No, he was the son of Bowser. Smart beyond his years and more cunning than any before him. "I'm glad you came, I saw you during the riot," he said. "Death, destruction - too bad you didn't end Mario then and there."

"Mario, my friend we have Mario in common," she said. "Our connection is a thorn in our sides. Poor old me, poor old Vivian can't beat him alone. As long as he's around, Toad Town will have security."

"Oh Vivian," said Jr, "I'll kill him."

"Making a martyr out of him is a mistake," said Vivian. "Not when there are other more powerful opponents willing to rise up in his wake..."

"Frame him as a criminal?" asked Jr.

"I have just the man to catch him, then," smiled Vivian. Pulling a knife out of his pocket, Jr felt it against Vivian's arm.

"This knife is from Queen Jaydes," said Jr. "It doesn't care if you dissipate, it will cut you." Vivian's face soured, but she remained where she was. "This is big time."

"Now, our plan for Mario?" asked Vivian.

"Mario likes to play offense," said Jr. "Hard to play that in the defensive position."

"Time for me to put on my makeup," said Vivian and she dissipated.

* * *

Naively giddy children and their amused but guarded parents boarded up the shops that they owned, the ones that the D-Men had destroyed. Mario watched as the families played together. His family had never been like that. His brother, Luigi, his sister, Rosalina... they never had a family home. Hell, in one timeline, things had gone so bad that Mario turned into Kamek... but Kamek was dead now. Only Mario was left. How long had he been standing here? The speech had ended a little bit ago. He had just been standing in awe since of the union within the families of the toads. In the corner of the window was a reflection of... Vivian... Shake's assistant. "What are you doing?" she asked him through the reflection. What was wrong with her makeup? It looked like it had been applied in haste.

"Hey Vivian, I didn't mean too...," said Mario, but he had no idea what to say.

"Hi Mario, hi," said Vivian, extending out a hand, which was met with a handshake.

"It's great to see you out," said Mario, "I'm surprised a Grinch like Shake let you out."

"So am I," she said. "But I'm surprised that Princess Peach let you out."

"It's my day off," joked Mario.

"Have you heard of what's happening today?" she asked and Mario just shook his head. "A second attempt at the Gold Celebration, given that the D-Men ruined the last few. King Shake feels that it'll take peoples mind off of the attack recently."

"I'll be there if it gets rowdy again," said Mario.

"Rowdy? I'm sure it'll be hell," said Vivian.

"How charming," smiled Mario. With that, Mario turned the other way and walked off.


End file.
